Changes
by NcisLover14
Summary: Jen and Gibbs have to tell SecNav of their relationship, much to Lexi's dismay. Jen decides to do something big. We learn more of Lexi's past... This story will take some unexpected twists and turns! MAY contain mentioned/ spanking of a minor. Don't like? Don't read.
1. Chapter 1

Here's my new story! Takes place a week after Family Vacation!. Not sure where the storyline will end up, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. Hope you all like it! *Definitely don't own NCIS. I just own Lexi :)

~*~CHAPTER 1~*~

"No way!" Lexi protested, sitting straight up in Jen's couch.

"Yes, Lexi," Jen replied firmly, looking up from her laptop.

"It is none of his business!" Lexi stated with a scowl. Jen sighed and removed her glasses.

"I know, honey. But if my boss isn't informed, it'll be bad," Jen answered softly. Her and Gibbs came to the conclusion that now that their relationship was resumed, SecNav needed to know. Lexi wasn't on board with the whole idea.

"I know, Mom. But honestly, what's so special about this Davenport guy anyways?" Lexi asked tossing a tennis ball up and down.

"First of all, Mr. Secretary or sir is my boss and it's a very big deal. Second of all, stop tossing that ball around before we have a repeat of last time," Jen responded sternly. Lexi's eyes widened and she immediately tossed the ball aside.

"Okay, so, he's your boss and stuff. Sure, he needs to know but it's really dumb," Lexi commented.

"Just promise me that you won't interfere," Jen stated.

"But I-"

"Alexia..." Jen sighed in exasperation.

Lexi rolled her eyes. "Fine, I won't interfere," she replied.

That didn't mean that she wouldn't state her opinion, however...

~*~NCIS~*~

The next day...

Lexi sat in the bullpen. Her eyes flicked to the bullpen elevator multiple times and she tapped her leg. Tony noticed and raised an eyebrow.

"Something wrong, Twitchy?" Tony asked.

"No, it's nothing," Lexi replied.

"Is it because SecNav is coming?" McGee inquired.

Lexi looked down. "Sort of. Mom said that her and Gibbs have to tell him about their relationship. It's crap, but if Mom says it's important, I guess it is," she answered.

Tony, McGee and Ziva nodded. She had a point.

She scowled and clenched her fists. They all knew that she was about to rant.

"The problem is, I just don't want some uptight, crooked waddling, penguin in a cheap suit storming in here acting like he's the boss! Newsflash! My Mom and Gibbs are the only bosses here," Lexi ranted.

It was all that Tony and Ziva could do to refrain from laughing. McGee hid a smirk.

Lexi, however, didn't notice their amusement. She rose from her seat.

"If you'll all excuse me, I'm going to be up in my mother's office, waiting for the SecNav Bobble-head to make his appearance," Lexi announced casually. She turned on her heel and stormed upstairs to Jen's office.

The team immediately let out fits of laughter.

"She-she said...crooked...waddling...PENGUIN!" Tony choked out.

"Bobble-head!" McGee laughed.

"I love how she made it clear that the Director and Gibbs were the bosses!" Ziva commented with a grin.

"Oh gosh that made my day," McGee remarked after he had calmed down.

"She is definitely not amused," Ziva stated with a shake of her head.

"I wouldn't be either. She's just worried," Tony replied.

"Excuse me,"

They all turned and looked behind them. None other than Secretary of the Navy Phillip Davenport was standing behind them.

Tony, McGee and Ziva immediately stood up. "Good afternoon, ," they greeted.

He nodded curtly at Tony and McGee. "Agents DiNozzo and McGee," he replied. He glanced at Ziva with a slightly disapproving look.

"Agent David," he addressed sharply. Ziva sensed the hostility but simply ignored it. She nodded in reply.

He looked around for a moment and narrowed his eyes. "Is Agent Gibbs here?"

"Uh, no sir, he's up in Director Shepard's office," McGee answered.

SecNav nodded. He turned on his heel and walked away. Tony and McGee shook their heads.

"He does not like me," Ziva stated.

"He doesn't seem like the liking type, Ziva," Tony pointed out.

"You're right," Ziva sighed. They all looked to the direction of the Director's office.

"Hopefully Lexi doesn't curse him out," Tony commented.

"She most likely will. She's just scared and annoyed right now, and I don't blame her," McGee stated.

"I agree. Lexi has come to enjoy Gibbs and Jen's rekindling love, and to see that it might come to an end? I would be surprised if she did not at least state her opinion," Ziva remarked.

"Let's hope that our lil sis speaks her mind against the big bad bastard," Tony half-joked. The others nodded.

~*~NCIS~*~

Lexi sat cross legged in Jen's couch, nodding slightly to the music in her ears. She looked around the room and saw Jen reading silently at her desk, and Gibbs leaning against the wall, lost in thought.

Lexi bit her lip in worry. What if this Davenport guy really caused her parents to split? What if they quit their jobs at NCIS, just to save their relationship? What if-

Her thoughts were interrupted when Cynthia buzzed in the intercom.

"Director Shepard, SecNav is here,"

Jen and Gibbs exchanged a glance. Jen pressed the button.

"Send him in, please," Jen replied.

A few moments later, SecNav entered the room and shut the door. He noticed Lexi sitting on the couch and gave her a slightly displeased look. Lexi promptly scowled darkly at him, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms firmly against her chest.

Gibbs noticed this and amusedly realized that Lexi and Jen had similar scowls.

Jen noticed the tension between her daughter and boss, and she intervened before blood could be shed. She rose from her seat.

"Thank you for coming, ," Jen greeted politely.

"I'm on a very tight schedule, Jennifer, what is this about?" SecNav simply replied.

"I know that you are wondering why Agent Gibbs is here, along with Lexi..." Jen started.

SecNav nodded.

Jen took a breath. "Well, Agent Gibbs and I, are in a relationship. Lexi is our daughter," Jen admitted calmly.

SecNav seemed ready to blow at this information.

"You what!?" he exclaimed. "This is unacceptable behavior in a professional workplace!"

Lexi scowled deeply. Who the hell cared if her parents had a relationship? Her mother was the best director anyone had ever seen, and Gibbs was the best team leader there! It wasn't like they made out in the bullpen, or regularly made love in the conference room... Not that she knew of anyways...

Jen saw Lexi's jaw clench and her blue eyes flicker, an indication that she was very angry. For fear of an explosion from her ill-tempered and outspoken daughter, she addressed her.

"Lexi, honey, put in your headphones and listen to your music," Jen remarked softly.

Lexi's eyes flit to SecNav momentarily before she placed the headphones in her ears. What they didn't know was that Lexi never turned on the music, the headphones were mute so she could hear the whole conversation.

"Are there any complaints of public affection between the director and I, sir?" Gibbs asked quietly.

"No. But think about the unwanted attention this agency would get about an intimate relationship between subordinates!" SecNav answered.

"This has been kept private, sir. We don't display our relationship out in the open," Jen stated.

SecNav would have none of it. "And what's worse, is that there is a child running around, making mischief in a highly decorated agency!"

That did it. Lexi yanked the headphones from her ears and stood up.

"I am no CHILD, sir! And this whole thing is ridiculous!" Lexi exclaimed.

"Alexia Marie!" Jen exclaimed in shock. Gibbs raised his eyebrows in interest. He chose to stay silent, waiting to hear what Lexi had to say.

"Excuse me!?" SecNav yelled, his brow furrowing. "And what would you know?"

"I know that you're being irrational! First off, I am 13 almost 14 years of age. I am smarter and more mature than the foolish, rambunctious child that you take me for. My mother is the best female director I've ever seen, and my father is the best team leader this agency has! One little relationship, and you're acting like they're planning a frigging terrorist's act!" Lexi exclaimed.

Jen looked on in shock and Gibbs hid a smirk. This proved that Lexi had a temper to rival her own.

"You, young lady, are in desperate need of a-" SecNav started to scold her.

"Good old fashioned spanking? Like I haven't heard that before. There isn't anyone in this building I can name who hasn't said those words out loud. Ask my parents," Lexi nonchalantly interrupted.

Jen and Gibbs had to agree with her there. She had a point.

"Now, since there aren't any complaints about their relationship, why is there a problem?" Lexi asked smoothly.

"If it goes public, it will cause a conspiracy!" SecNav replied.

"Okay... But are there any noticeable changes in their work performance?" Lexi inquired, sounding exactly like Jen.

"No but-"

"Then there shouldn't be a problem! It's not as if my parents screamed it out for everyone and their mother to hear. It's been kept private," Lexi stated.

"You're failing to understand. If this goes out to the press, there will be an uproar!"

Lexi groaned. "The press this, the press that...the press isn't in here everyday breathing down our necks. It's all about the press and their dumb opinion is why we're here. Just screw the press!" she remarked. That elicited a sharp inhale from Jen.

"What do you propose me to do? Forget everything and run off into the sunset?" SecNav asked sarcastically.

"No, not at all. Just tell us what you propose to do," Lexi responded.

"They either cease their relationship and resume their professional work habits," SecNav started.

"Or...?" Lexi asked.

"Or they find a new job," he finished.

"Not that difficult of a choice. We all know what they'd pick. Work over family? Ha! Then you'll be losing the best that this agency has," Lexi scoffed.

Jen and Gibbs couldn't have been more proud of Lexi at that moment. Even though part of Jen wanted to tan the girl's backside for her insolence, the other part wanted to gather her up in her arms and tell her how proud she was of her.

"Unless you want to negotiate-"

"I'm listening," SecNav interrupted gruffly.

"My parents can continue their relationship, but in private. Meaning no public displays of affection, flirty talk, etc. That way everyone wins. Off hours, their business. No unwanted attention, the press is none the wiser," Lexi compromised.

SecNav thought this over. "Alright. Since there has been no complaints of inappropriate behavior, and it hasn't affected their performance in any way, I'll take your word for it. But under one condition. If I get one complaint that they so much as look at each other funny, they're fired. Clear?" he stated, addressing Jen and Gibbs.

Jen and Gibbs nodded affirmative.

"Good. Congrats by the way," SecNav remarked with a smirk. He eyed Lexi and crooked his finger at her. She rose from her seat and stood in front of him.

"Glad we came to an agreement, sir," Lexi commented.

SecNav smirked slightly. "Your attitude needs tuning but your bravery and negotiation skills are spot-on. Nice to finally meet the famous Lexi," he replied, extending his hand. Lexi firmly shook it.

"Thank you, sir," Lexi answered. SecNav left and Lexi shut the door behind him. She took a deep breath and slowly turned to face her parents. Jen sat at her desk with her arms crossed, eyeing Lexi sternly, and Gibbs leaned against the wall with an unreadable expression.

"Okay... Mom, I know that I disobeyed you by not keeping the headphones in my ears and interfering, and I was rude to your boss," Lexi stated nervously.

Jen didn't reply, and she tilted her head slightly.

"What's my punishment?" Lexi asked. She figured that it was inevitable.

"Come here," Jen ordered quietly.

Lexi sighed. 'Great, a spanking right here, right now. I guess it was coming anyways,' Lexi thought.

As she made her way to her mother's right side, she was gathered into a tight hug. Lexi was confused and she pulled away.

"Wait, you aren't mad? But I was-"

"Bravely and loyally protecting us against SecNav. To save our relationship. For that, I am so proud of you, Lexibear," Jen remarked with a grin. Lexi's heart bursted with pride at her words.

Gibbs finally spoke. "Lexi, that was brave. I was honestly speechless," he remarked. 'And amused,' he thought, but Jen didn't need to know that.

"Thanks. I felt that I had to speak up because, truthfully, I love your relationship. It's what makes us a family. I couldn't let even SecNav ruin that," Lexi commented.

"You negotiated well, baby. I'm surprised that you don't want to be a lawyer when you're older," Jen stated.

Lexi shook her head. "Nope. I'm going to be an NCIS Special Agent," she declared proudly.

Jen and Gibbs smiled. Jen's expression turned serious.

"Now, you still have to be punished for the rudeness," she stated firmly. Lexi nodded solemnly and bent over her lap. Jen swatted her bottom once, but not nearly as hard as Lexi had expected. Basically a love pat. She looked back quizzically.

"Now if anyone, including SecNav, asks, I gave you that good old fashioned spanking that you so rightly deserved" Jen joked, making Lexi laugh.

"The team will get a kick outta this for sure," Gibbs commented with a smirk.

"Let's go tell them!" Lexi remarked excitedly. She opened the door and Jen and Gibbs followed her, thinking about how lucky they are to have a daughter like Lexi.

A/N: The 1st chapter is off with a bang! Next chapter has Lexi telling the team of what had transpired. There are a few surprises down the road of this story. Not sure about the plot-line, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. One thing though, Jen wants to do something, involving Lexi. We learn more about her past also! I'll save that for later. Special thanks to Loverofallthingsmusic!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey everyone! Here's the 2nd chapter. Thanks for the reviews, follows and support! I'll try not to take too long to update but school is really busy. I'll try my best. Like I said before, I'm not sure how I'll make everything in the plot work, but I've made it work before, I'll make it work again. Enough of my babble! On with the story!

~*~CHAPTER 2~*~

Lexi sprinted down the steps towards the bullpen. Jen and Gibbs look on from the stair railing. Lexi hopped up and down in excitement.

"Ohmigosh ohmigosh ohmiGOSH!" Lexi squealed.

"Whoa there Squirt, what's got you so excited?" Tony inquired.

"You will not beLIEVE the events that took place up there!" Lexi replied. Now, the team was interested. They had been curious as to what was going on up there for the past 10 minutes.

"Ooh, now I'm interested," Tony remarked.

"Okay, so, SecNav was being a jerk and almost blew a fuse when Mom said that her and Gibbs were dating. Mom saw me getting angry and told me to put in my headphones..." Lexi trailed off.

"Oh, Lexi, you didn't," McGee groaned.

Lexi winced. "Oh, but I did. I never turned on the music. So I listened in on the conversation,"

Ziva shook her head. "Then what happened?" she asked.

"He had the nerve to call me a _child_!" Lexi huffed.

The team looked at each other in amusement.

"And I told him like it is. That he was being irrational and that I am most certainly not the ignorant, rambunctious child that he takes me for. I am a young lady that is mature and able to think for herself," Lexi stated, sounding every bit like Jen.

The team's jaws dropped. "Y-you said that to SecNav!?" Tony stuttered.

Lexi nodded. "Sure did," she answered simply.

"How did he react?" McGee asked.

"He said something along the lines of me _'In desperate need of a good old fashioned spanking,'_. Except for the fact that I finished his sentence and told him that there was no one in the whole building that I can name that hasn't said those words out loud," Lexi responded.

"Good point," Tony commented.

"Very true," Ziva remarked.

"Yeah, I agree," McGee followed.

"Then I managed to convince him to look the other way on the condition that Mom and Gibbs don't act like lovesick teenagers in public," Lexi remarked, eliciting a snort from the team.

"Lexi, we can hear you," Gibbs snapped. Lexi looked up behind her and winced.

"Sorry! Anyway, SecNav then congratulated them, and told me that though my attitude needs tuning, my bravery and negotiation skills were great," Lexi finished.

"Yeah, I agree with him on that one Lexi. I'm really proud of you for defending your parents," Tony stated with a grin, he motioned for a hug. Lexi beamed and ran into his welcoming arms. Ziva and McGee gave her a warm hug also. She was glad that her family was proud of her.

"Thanks guys. I felt the need to protect then because their relationship keeps us together," she remarked.

Lexi's expression turned serious and slightly sad. "I-I couldn't think of what it would be like if I didn't have Mom. I couldn't live without her," Lexi stated sincerely.

Jen heard her words from the railing and tears rose to her eyes. Lexi really did think of her as her real mother. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. She would have to do some serious thinking. How would Lexi feel?

Gibbs noticed the faraway look in Jen's eyes and raise an eyebrow.

"Jen?"

"Hm?"

"Penny for your thoughts..."

Jen shook her head quickly. "It's nothing Jethro. We can talk later. I have work to finish," Jen replied as she walked away.

Gibbs nodded slowly and walked towards the bullpen. They'd talk later...

~*~NCIS~*~

Lexi hung upside down on Jen's couch, watching The Walking Dead. When the show ended, Jen looked up from her laptop.

"Lexi, honey? Go up to your room and stay there please, Jethro and I have to talk," Jen told her softly.

Lexi's head snapped towards her. "Am I in trouble? Because whatever I did totally wasn't my-"

"No no no, sweetie, you aren't in any trouble. We just have to talk about a few things. Alright?" Jen replied.

Lexi nodded. "Okay," she answered. Lexi got up from the couch and walked upstairs to her room.

Gibbs turned to Jen. "Alright, Jen. What's going on?" he asked.

"I just... I've been thinking. About Lexi. She's looked at me as a mother, and I have most definitely thought of her as my daughter. I heard what she said to the team earlier. So, I've decided that... I want to adopt her," Jen blurted.

Gibbs gave one of his rare grins. "That's a great idea, Jen. It would be good for our family. I think that you should talk to Lexi first, she'll be overjoyed," he commented.

Jen nodded. "She's my daughter, no matter what. I think that I should tell her tomorrow. I'm not sure how she'll react. I hope I'm not being too-"

"Don't worry, Jen," Gibbs interrupted.

Jen nodded. She thought about her idea and felt more determined. She loved Lexi like her own, and she hoped that Lexi would like the idea.

Lexi, of course, sat by the railing in the hallway. She heard bits and pieces of the conversation, but just enough to understand. She got up and walked to her room sadly.

Why would Jen want to adopt her? She was too much for her to handle. If Jen ever found out that she was thinking like this again...

Lexi wasn't going to run away of course. She was just dreading the talk tomorrow. Anyone might be confused as to why Lexi wasn't bouncing off the walls, but she was just conflicted with her thoughts...

~*~NCIS~*~

Lexi spent her time in the bullpen, headphones in her ears, on high volume. This way, she could confront her thoughts without anyone bothering her. McGee definitely didn't bother her for fear of being yelled at again, Ziva noticed something was wrong but didn't want to pry, Tony just left her alone. He knew that she wanted to be left alone, so he didn't say anything.

Lexi suddenly paused her music, removed the headphones from her ears and placed her phone on top of Ziva's desk.

"I'm going somewhere for a sec. I'll be back," Lexi informed the team. They nodded and watched Lexi walk away.

"I would rather not ask," Ziva stated. McGee and Tony nodded in agreement.

~*~NCIS~*~

Lexi walked downstairs to Autopsy. Thankfully, there was no autopsy being performed at the moment, and Palmer wasn't there. Not that she didn't like Jimmy, it was just really awkward sometimes.

"Ducky?" Lexi called.

"Yes?" Ducky replied. He turned away from his desk.

"Um... can I talk to you?" Lexi asked.

"Why, of course my dear! Whatever is the matter? You look confused and a bit upset," Ducky responded.

Lexi nodded. She pointed to one of the Autopsy tables. "It's clean right?" she asked cautiously.

"Yes yes, I disinfect everything after every autopsy, Lexi," Ducky chuckled. Lexi sighed with relief and hopped onto it.

"Oh, okay, cool. So, what happened was... last night, my Mom sent me to my room because she had to talk with Gibbs. I kind of listened in..." Lexi admitted.

Ducky shook his head. "Alexia," he commented sternly.

"I know, Ducky. I just couldn't resist. That wasn't it though. I overheard a bit of the conversation. Mom wants to adopt me," Lexi finished.

Ducky's eyes lit up. "Why, that is wonderful news!"

"Yeah, but... why would she want to adopt me? I'm too much to handle," Lexi stated, looking down with a shrug.

Ducky's expression turned to one of slight anger.

"Alexia Marie, I have never heard so much nonsense at one time! Jennifer loves you very much, and you mean the world to her. I do not think that she would be very happy with you if she heard the way you are speaking," he scolded, startling Lexi with his sudden seriousness.

"I'm sure you're right. When we were in Mexico, and I ran away that night because I thought that the family would be better without me, she warned me that if I ever thought that way again, she'd put me over her knee. But she'd use the hairbrush next time," Lexi replied.

"I would not blame her. You are an important part of all of our lives, and of this dysfunctional family that we have going on here. While your mischief is not something to laugh at all the time, it brings excitement into our daily life. Anthony, Timothy, Abigail and Ziva love you and look at you like a little sister, and I'm sure that they would not be very pleased with you thinking this way. Jethro and Jennifer would not be either," Ducky continued.

Lexi looked down. "Exactly. I've disappointed each of them more than one time. Mom even said it a few weeks ago when I disobeyed her. It hurts to hear and see. Isn't that enough of a reason?" Lexi answered.

Ducky tipped her chin to look at him. "Now, you listen to me, young lady. Never mind the past, this is the present. So you've disappointed people before? You are a charming, beautiful and quite a high spirited and intelligent young girl with a brilliant personality. One who is surrounded by people who love you. It does not matter if you've disappointed a few people, we will always love you. Let this be the last time that I have to tell you this," he told her firmly.

Lexi nodded frantically, not doubting the doctor for a minute. "I understand, Ducky. Thanks for the talk," she replied, hugging him tightly. Ducky returned the hug with a smile.

"You are quite welcome, young miss. Now, I think that it is time to talk to your mother," Ducky stated with a wink. Lexi smiled and walked out of Autopsy. She was really glad that she had that talk with Ducky. It made her feel 100 times better.

~*~NCIS~*~

Lexi knocked on Jen's door. Hearing a 'come in', she entered.

"Hey, sweetie," Jen greeted. Lexi smiled.

"Hi, Mom," she replied. Jen sat on the couch and patted the spot next to her. Lexi sat down and rested her head on Jen shoulder.

"Lexi, we need to talk," Jen stated with a sigh.

"About?" Lexi asked. Hopefully she would be convincing enough so Jen didn't find out that she already knew

"Sweetie... you know that I love you right?" Jen inquired carefully. Lexi nodded.

"You're my daughter. But, I think that it's time for me to make you my real daughter," Jen finished, watching Lexi's expression.

"Like, you wanna adopt me?" Lexi asked in slight disbelief.

Jen nodded. "What do you think about it?"

Lexi nodded. "I like the idea, a lot," she replied.

"And just know that I am most certainly not trying to replace your real mother," Jen stated. Lexi's expression turned incredulous.

"Replace? _Replace_? Are you serious?" Lexi scoffed. Jen was shocked.

"Lexi, what-"

"Mom, do you think that I care about you _replacing_ that woman? You have been more of a mother to me for 2 1/2 years that she was for 12!" Lexi remarked.

Jen hadn't heard much about Lexi's real mother, but what she had wasn't very good.

"Lexi, why don't you tell me about your real mother?" Jen replied.

Lexi huffed. "She was a complete-"

"Lexi, this is the only exception. I will allow you to say 3 swear words, use them very wisely," Jen interrupted.

Lexi sighed. "Mom, I've never told anyone, except Gibbs this... my real mother would verbally and emotionally abuse me," Lexi admitted.

Jen didn't know whether to explode or burst into tears at this information. She just looked at her in shock. "And your father..?"

"No no no! My father didn't even know. I was never brave enough to tell him. He loved me so much, he'd never call me names. Their marriage was starting to go downhill when I was 9 years old. That was when the abuse started to get worse. It was never physical, just the things she'd say," Lexi continued.

"Oh, Lexi..." Jen trailed off. She honestly didn't know what to say.

"If I went to her with a problem, she'd go,_ 'Work it out yourself, brat!'_ and then she'd say, '_I'm trying to help you, but you're being a little bitch!'_" Lexi stated. "The day that they died, we got into an argument and we said a few things..."

Jen nodded slowly, absorbing everything that Lexi was telling her. "You can tell me, honey," Jen assured her softly.

Lexi sighed again. "She called me an ugly, ungrateful little shit that doesn't do as she's told and I called her an evil bitch, and I didn't regret it. Then I left for school. Later on, I got told that on their way to the grocery store, they were hit in their car by a drunk driver. To be honest, my father's death affected me more than my mother's," Lexi finished. She paused.

"That's why I was insecure about myself for the first 4 months of being here. That's why I kept to myself. That's why I was always afraid that I would make everyone not love me anymore if I got into trouble. I just don't understand why... Why she said those things... why didn't she love me!?" Lexi broke down at the last part. Jen gathered Lexi into her arms. She gripped Lexi's shoulders firmly.

"I love you, Lexi. I would never call you bad names, I would never abuse you in any way, shape or form, and I will always be there for you. I promise," Jen promised, looking into her deep blue eyes.

Lexi sniffed. "Can you promise me another thing?" she asked quietly.

"Of course, honey. What is it?" Jen answered.

Lexi sniffled. "P-promise me you'll never leave me," she replied, bursting into sobs. Jen's eyes filled with tears.

"I will most certainly never leave you, baby," Jen promised, smoothing the curls from Lexi's face.

~*~NCIS~*~

Lexi and Jen emerged from Jen's office.

"Hey, how about we go to the mall? School starts in about 3 and a half weeks and you need some new clothes don't you think? We can get supplies about a week before it starts," Jen suggested.

"Sounds like a plan!" Lexi replied happily.

"Good. We can get Stanley, my security to get the car ready and we could go," Jen replied.

Lexi nodded. She walked into the bullpen. The team immediately ambushed her with questions.

"Lexi!"

"Where have you been?"

"We were so worried!"

"Are you alright?"

"What happened?"

"You just disappeared!"

"Hey, guys. I've been in Autopsy and Mom's office. Don't worry, I'm fine. It's nothing, really. Sorry for disappearing," Lexi answered with a chuckle.

"Are you sure you're okay?" McGee asked.

Lexi looked behind her to see Jen hanging up her phone. Jen smiled at her and Lexi smiled back.

"Yeah, McGee. I really am," she replied.

A/N: Yeah, I just let this one flow. Nothing was really planned lol. The little emotional scene, Jen's idea, and the truth about Lexi's real mother, planned but not this way. Not sure what the future will hold but like I said, it'll come to me over time. Thanks so much everyone!

-Ally :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey here's another chapter! Lexi tells the team of Jen's decision... along with her secret about her parents. Get ready for other surprises in store! I don't own NCIS or any of the characters. I just own Lexi. Enjoy!**

~*~CHAPTER 3~*~

The team and Abby gathered at Gibbs' house for their usual Friday 'slumber party', as Abby loved to call it. After a pizza came, they all sat in the living room, talking and laughing as usual. Suddenly, Lexi motioned for silence.

"Alright, everyone. I know that you guys have been concerned and sort of confused at my change in attitude," Lexi started. They nodded and she continued.

"Well, my mom and I had a chat... And she's decided that, she wants to adopt me," Lexi finished, eliciting a gasp from the team.

"...And I said yes," Lexi added. The team broke out in cheers and a squeal from Abby.

"I'm not sure when it'll be finalized though," Lexi stated.

"We're happy for ya Lex," Tony remarked, grabbing her and pulling her into a tight bear hug.

"Thanks, Tony," Lexi replied with a giggle.

"Where are Gibbs and Jenny?" Abby asked.

"Probably upstairs as usual," Lexi answered with a wink.

"Actually, we're right here," Gibbs piped from behind them.

"Or they had just _teleported_ from upstairs," Lexi joked, Tony snorted.

"DiNozzo..." Gibbs growled with a glare.

"Lexi..." Jen hissed with a similar glare in Lexi's direction.

"Sorry, Boss,"

"Sorry, Mom,"

"Is it true? Are you really adopting Lexi?" Abby squealed.

Jen grinned. "Yes, it's true, Abs," Jen replied.

"Are you adding a last name, Lexi?" Ziva asked curiously.

Lexi shook her head. "I don't think so. Besides, when I'm in trouble and Mom yells out my full name, '_Alexia Marie Shepard-Gibbs'_ will make her run out of breath," Lexi replied, causing everyone to laugh and for Jen and Gibbs to chuckle.

Lexi bit her lip. "On a more serious note, there's a secret, about my parents. More specifically my birth mother. I haven't told anyone except Mom and Gibbs," Lexi stated.

"Lexi..." Jen interrupted, giving her a look that told her that she didn't have to share this if she didn't want to.

Lexi gave her a reassuring glance and a nod. The team looked at her expectantly.

"I feel that you all should know. As my brothers and sisters," Lexi remarked. They all smiled at the last part.

"But, um... we all know that my real parents were killed in a car crash when I was 11. But what you don't know is, my mother would abuse me... verbally and emotionally," Lexi admitted.

Abby buried her face in McGee's jacket. McGee sat with a horrified look on his now pale face. Tony clenched his fists in fury. Ziva was pained and outraged, and it clearly showed in her facial expression.

"I'm so sorry you guys. I had to tell you sooner or later. My father never did of course. He never even knew, I didn't have the guts to tell him," Lexi continued sadly.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Lexi," McGee stated firmly.

"And the fact that on the day that they died, my mother and I had got into a bad argument. We said some really mean things," Lexi remarked.

"Thanks for telling us, Lexi," Tony remarked.

"You're welcome. Hey, I have pictures of them too," Lexi stated.

She ran upstairs and got two pictures from her nightstand drawer. She ran back downstairs and held up the picture of her mother.

"Here's my mother," Lexi commented.

They all looked at the picture. The woman was pretty, but Lexi looked nothing like her. The blonde hair and brown eyes were definitely different.

"And my Dad," Lexi held up the second picture.

If the team was surprised that Lexi's father was biracial, they didn't show it much. He had olive skin, curly brown hair and blue eyes with a sprinkle of freckles across his nose. Lexi definitely favored him.

"My mother was full German. My father's father was African American and his mother was French. That's why I can speak both German and French fluently," Lexi explained.

"They made a very pretty daughter," Ziva commented. Lexi blushed and smiled. "Thanks," she replied.

"Everyone, Jen and I have something to tell you all," Gibbs stated. They looked at them expectantly. Jen stuck out her left hand: there was a ring over her ring finger. The team cheered.

"YES! OH MY GOD **YES**! JIBBS **_FOREVER_**!" Abby shouted, jumping up and down.

"Jibbs? What is that?" Ziva asked in confusion.

"It's a ship. Jen + Gibbs = Jibbs," Abby replied.

"Ohhhh," they all answered.

"OMG you guys are really gonna get married? I totally called it!" Lexi squealed. Jen and Gibbs nodded.

"What number wife will this be, Boss?" Tony asked with a smirk. Jen gave Gibbs a look and he nodded. She walked over to Tony and gave him a hard headslap.

**SLAP!**

"_OWW!_ Sorry, Boss... sorry, Director," Tony yelped.

"Now, the wedding will be in February so we will have enough time to plan. The whole adoption process will take about 6 months, probably more even after the marriage," Jen announced.

"And another thing, Lexi, I've told someone to visit. We haven't talked in a while until only recently and I've told them about you," Gibbs added.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. "I think they're here. Why don't you go answer it?" Gibbs said with a smirk.

Lexi looked at the team quizzically. They shrugged. Jen smirked.

Lexi walked to the door and opened it. An old man with white hair was on the other side. He smiled.

"Well, hello there. You must be Alexia," the man greeted.

Lexi smiled. "Lexi, sir. Who are you?" she replied.

"Jackson Gibbs. May I come in?" he replied. Lexi held the door open for him and he walked inside on a cane.

Lexi gaped at him and looked over at Gibbs who smiled. "Lexi, I'd like for you to meet Jackson Gibbs, your grandfather," he remarked.

"Grandpa?" Lexi answered, still in awe.

Jackson nodded. "Yep, that's me. Nice to meet you." He looked at Gibbs. "Now, Leroy, why don't you introduce me to this stunning young woman standing behind you?" he commented. Jen blushed and smiled.

"Dad, this is Jen, my fiancée and Lexi's mother," Gibbs introduced. Jackson hugged Jen warmly and kissed her cheek.

"Congratulations," Jackson commented.

"And this is my team. They're my kids actually. Tony, Tim, Abby and Ziva," Gibbs remarked.

"Nice to meet you all," Jackson greeted the team. He sat in the couch and Lexi sat next to him.

"So, Lexi, how old are you again?" Jackson asked.

"I'm 13, sir. I'll be 14 on January 15th," Lexi replied.

"You can drop the 'sir' little lady, I work for a living. A real polite one you got here, Leroy," Jackson commented. Lexi blushed. Gibbs and Jen rolled their eyes.

"Yeah, sure," Gibbs replied sarcastically.

"So, 13 huh? Why, I remember that 13 was the age that Leroy shot himself in the foot with his own BB gun," Jackson remarked.

Lexi and Abby giggled. Ziva, Tim and Tony snorted. Jen covered her mouth to hide her grin.

"Are you serious!?" Lexi squealed.

"Ohh yeah. You shoulda heard the girlish scream he made!" Jackson replied.

"Really, Dad?" Gibbs groaned, an uncharacteristic blush slowly creeping to his cheeks.

"That's nothing. What about the time he was trying to show off to his friends, and he got caught by the back of his pants on a metal fence! Even his tighty whiteys were stuck!" Jackson told them.

By this time, everyone was bellowing with uncontrollable laughter and the blush made its way to Gibbs' ears.

"_Dad_," Gibbs growled.

"Alright alright, Leroy. Don't worry, I won't tell them about the time that you fell into a pile of manure trying to impress Annie Reynolds when you were 15- oops! Did I just say that out loud?" Jackson joked.

They all roared with laughter. Jen had tears running down her face. She didn't even bother to hide her mirth. Gibbs scowled.

"I'm going for coffee," he barked, disappearing into the kitchen.

After the laughter died down, Jackson turned to Lexi.

"Now, Lexi, have you been good for your parents?" He asked.

Lexi smiled. "Of course!" she answered smoothly.

Jen scoffed and the team rolled their eyes.

Jackson smirked. "Oh come now, young lady, I know that you aren't an angel," he commented.

Lexi sighed. "Alright, ya got me. Sure, I've gotten into my share of scrapes," she admitted.

"One for every day of the week," Tony remarked. Everyone laughed.

"Not every day... but yeah," Lexi replied.

"Any stories?" Jackson asked.

"Umm... there are a lot to choose from," Lexi stated.

Jackson chuckled. "Choose one," he replied.

Lexi thought. "Alright, here's one. My mom told me to stop bouncing a soccer ball in the house. Twice... I broke a vase. Then when she was about to punish me, she told me to come to her and I kind of... said no," Lexi explained.

Jackson laughed. "Now, that was very brave, but very stupid. Your mother is a very nice lady, but she doesn't seem like the type to mess around."

"She isn't, trust me," Lexi commented. The team nodded in agreement.

"She's kinda scary," Tony mumbled, earning him a glare from Jen.

"Now, I remember a time when Leroy-" Jackson started to tell.

"Dad, that is enough reminiscing about my embarrassing childhood stories!" Gibbs yelled from the kitchen.

Jackson shook his head. "Later. Definitely later," he whispered to Lexi with a wink.

~*~NCIS~*~

2 weeks later...

It was almost time for Lexi to start school. While she was cool about it, deep down, she was nervous. What if no one liked her? Or, everyone was mean to her... Or the teachers picked favorites? There was only one person she could go to about this: _Tony_.

Lexi made her way to the bullpen. "Alright, Tony, I need advice," Lexi announced.

Ziva snorted. "Sorry, it is just strange that you would go to Tony for advice," Ziva stated quickly.

"Yeah I know. But, this is something in one of his areas of expertise," Lexi replied.

"What do you need, Squirt?" Tony asked.

"Okay, so, I start high school in a week and a half. I was thinking... What if..." Lexi paused, biting her lip.

"What if what, Lexi?" Tony asked.

"What if... no one likes me?" Lexi answered meekly.

"Lexi, that is the biggest load of crap I've ever heard," Tony stated firmly.

"But, Tony-" Lexi started, Tony interrupted.

"No 'But's, Alexia. Everyone will like you. There is nothing to worry about. Come on now. What's the real reason?" Tony interrupted sternly.

"Alright alright, I'm nervous for school alright? It's high school," Lexi admitted.

"Ah, high school. Okay there are a lot of rules. One of which being, avoid upperclassmen. Meaning the sophomores mainly. They have just gotten out of the freshmeat stage, they're basically gonna hate you guys. Make friends in your interest group. Or even stick to one main friend," Tony advised.

"Okay," Lexi replied.

"Do your homework. One zero for homework will make your grade plummet down the drain. _STUDY_," Tim added. " And no procrastination,"

"But, Tim! Procrastination helps me absorb the material better," Lexi whined.

Tim gave her a stern look. "Lexi, I'm serious," he remarked.

Lexi put up her hands in surrender.

"Anyways, avoid the jocks. They're jerks. Don't get caught up in the wrong crowd either. Get involved in a lot. It'll look good on your resume and in the yearbook, plus you'll meet people," Tony continued.

"I'm in band and I play 4 instruments. I play soccer and I take hip hop and jazz. Is that good?" Lexi commented.

"More than good. Lexi you will make a lot of friends, I am sure of it," Ziva responded.

"Thanks so much, Ziva," Lexi replied.

Tony nodded. "While I can go on forever and ever, Lexi, just be yourself. Please stay out of fights and trouble. And keep your grades up," he finished.

"Thanks Tony. I feel better now," Lexi replied.

"No problem, Lex. Oh and one other thing. If your parents aren't available, and there is a call from school that you misbehaved, fought, cheated etc., I swear, your first spanking from me will make the past ones from McGeek, Abby and Zee-vah seem like a pleasant memory. Understood?" Tony warned.

"Why you?" Lexi asked stubbornly.

"Because a), I'm the one in charge when your parents aren't here, and b), If you haven't noticed, I'm the only one who hasn't taken you over my knee. _Drop the attitude_," Tony answered sharply.

Lexi shrugged and walked off.

Tony sighed and shook his head.

"Are you seriously the only one?" Ziva asked in slight amusement.

"Yeah, I am," Tony answered.

"Come on, Tony. Even Abby had the guts to straighten her out," Tim remarked.

Tony chuckled slightly. "Yeah. Sad right? But I can't believe she's starting high school. Isn't she 13?"

"She skipped 2nd grade. She turns 14 when everyone turns 15," Tim replied

"Oh wow. So she is younger than everyone," Ziva commented.

"Yeah, but I'm sure she's used to it," Tony replied.

"I honestly wish that we were around when she was younger," Tim remarked.

"Yeah," Tony answered.

"I agree," Ziva responded.

~*~NCIS~*~

Lexi walked up to Jen's office. She looked up from her book and smiled.

"Hey, honey. You ready?" Jen greeted.

"Ready for what?" Lexi replied in confusion.

"Oh, you forgot? We have to go to your school, meet your teachers and get your schedule," Jen answered.

Lexi huffed and flopped on the couch. "What's the big deal?" She grumbled.

"What's the big deal? You're starting high school! Why the long face?" Jen asked.

Lexi sighed. "Mom, what if my high school experience doesn't go well?" She asked, sounding very much like a scared little kid.

"Oh, Lexi. You'll be fine. Trust me," Jen assured.

Lexi smiled a bit. "Okay," she replied.

"After the school visit, we can go to Staples and get your school supplies, and then we can go for lunch," Jen remarked.

"Yes! Alright," Lexi replied excitedly.

"Okay, well let's get ready to go," Jen said with a chuckle.

They get prepared to leave. Lexi was relieved and now excited for school. All of her fears diminished. She wondered how her teachers would be...

A/N: To be continued from here! I hope you all enjoyed the revelation, visit from Jackson Gibbs and Jen and Gibbs engagement! Love the reviews and support! Big thanks to Loverofallthingsmusic! New chapter up soon!

-Ally :)


	4. Chapter 4

~*~CHAPTER 4~*~

Lexi and Jenny made it to Lexi's school. It was close enough for Lexi to walk from Gibbs' house and a bus came at the corner by Jen's house.

Entering the school, they were greeted by the principal. He was a tall man with brown hair with a friendly smile.

"Hello, I am the principal, Mr. Haden. You must be Lexi," the principal greeted, extending his hand.

Lexi grinned and shook his hand. "Yes, sir. Nice to meet you," she replied.

"And you. And Director, good to see you," Mr. Haden remarked.

"Likewise. We talked over the phone," Jen answered.

"Ah, yes. Might I say, Lexi's test scores were exemplary," Mr. Haden commented.

Lexi smiled. "Thanks," she answered.

"You may get her schedule from that table. There is a section for the freshman in alphabetical order," Mr. Haden directed.

"Thank you, very much," Jen responded.

"You're welcome. Lexi, have a good rest of the summer, and I will see you next Monday," Mr. Haden remarked.

"Thanks, you too," Lexi answered.

Lexi walked over to the table that the principal had showed them and scanned it for her name in the 'G' section. Finding her schedule, she held it up.

"I found it!" Lexi announced. Jen looked over it and nodded.

"This is very good, Lexi. They put you in Advanced classes," Jen commented.

Lexi looked at it again. She scowled. "Ugh, they put me in Algebra 1 AGAIN," she huffed.

"How is that bad? It'll be easy for you," Jen replied.

"I know but I have to do everything over again!" Lexi whined.

Jen rolled her eyes. "First period, Concert Band 1," she stated.

"OMG, they have me in Band first period? I so love this school," Lexi remarked with a grin. Jen had to chuckle at her over-dramatic daughter.

They walked to the music room that had many rows of chairs by a set of drums, a grand piano, shelves with variously pictures and trophies and a cabinet with a few instruments. A door in the back led to the instrument locker room.

Lexi was marveled by the piano, so she started to head for it immediately. Sitting on the bench, she began to play a blues scale at a rapid pace.

"Lexi-" Jen started to call, when a woman chuckled by her.

"It's fine. She's very talented," she commented.

Jen smiled. "Thank you," she replied.

"Oh, where are my manners? I am Ms. Taylor, the music teacher," she introduced.

"I'm Jennifer Shepard, her mother," Jen replied.

Lexi finally left the piano and made her way over to Jen.

"Lexi, this is the music teacher, Ms. Taylor," Jen told her.

"Hi, I'm Lexi," Lexi greeted.

"Hello, Lexi. I heard your playing and I think that it is marvelous. How many years of piano lessons have you had?" Ms. Taylor asked.

"Thank you. Um, I have never had any. I have a piano at home and I started dabbling until I taught myself to read music," Lexi answered.

Ms. Taylor grinned, her brown eyes twinkling. "That is excellent! The only problem is, you're in Concert Band, right? There are no piano players. Do you play anything else?"

"Yep! I play Alto saxophone, trumpet and flute," Lexi replied.

"Nice! There are a lot of flute players already. There are only 4 trumpet players so you can join and we can use another sax player,"

Lexi thought for a moment. "I'll play trumpet," she decided.

"Good. I'll sign you onto the group. Do you have your own?" Ms. Taylor asked.

Lexi nodded. "I'll bring it on Monday," she stated.

"Okay then. It was very nice to meet you, honey," Ms. Taylor remarked.

"You too," Lexi replied. Jen and Lexi left the music room and checked the schedule.

"It says that you have Spanish Level 2 next, Room 304," Jen stated. They walked to the 300 hallway and found Room 304. There were a few parents and students there already.

"Welcome everyone. I am Mrs. Rosario, and I will be teaching the 2nd level of Spanish," the teacher announced.

"Wait, I thought you spoke Spanish already?" Jen whispered.

"I do, but not completely fluently. I need a review," Lexi replied.

Jen nodded in understanding. The teacher continued to explain the important units and expectations for her class. Afterwards, Jen and Lexi checked their next stop.

" Mr. Carlson, World History, Room 308," Lexi read. Walking down the hallway, Lexi spotted someone she knew.

"OMG, Juliet!?" Lexi squealed.

"Well hug me, Chica!" Juliet replied. Lexi squealed again and hugged her.

"You're a sophomore?"

"Yep. Hey, can I see your schedule?"

Lexi passed it to Juliet. She scanned it and nodded.

"You have good classes. No mean teachers," Juliet commented.

"Oh thank God," Lexi sighed in relief. Juliet looked over at Jen.

"Is that your mom?" Juliet inquired. Lexi nodded and Juliet waved at Jen who smiled and waved back.

"Well, I have to go. See ya in gymnastics," Lexi remarked. Jen and Lexi entered the classroom where a tall man met them. He looked younger and had a more laid back personality. That was good, that meant he was easy.

"Hi, I'm Mr. Carlson, the World History teacher," he greeted, shaking hands with Jen.

"I'm Lexi," Lexi replied.

"Freshman?" He asked.

Lexi nodded. "I teach Freshmen, Juniors and Seniors. So basically, you'll be learning about Ancient Civilizations and life for different regions. Quiz days are on some Fridays and tests are a week and a half after the quizzes. Don't stress too much on those," he explained.

Lexi nodded. Mr. Carlson smirked. "And don't worry, I'm not the kind of guy to put wrong answers on the review sheets. Or ask about the type of tea they sell in China when we are learning about Ancient Greece," he joked.

Lexi smiled. "Okay," she replied.

"Nice to meet you. See you on Monday," Mr. Carlson remarked.

"What's the next period, Mom?" Lexi inquired as they left.

Jen scanned the schedule and squinted. Lexi smirked. "Do you need your glasses?" She asked in a sarcastic tone. Jen glared at her.

"No. I'm not Jethro," Jen retorted. Lexi snorted. "It says that you have a free period,"

Lexi pumped her fist in the air. "Yes!" She cheered.

"Well, you have Advanced Physical Science next," Jen answered.

They arrived at Mr. Flynn's science class. It was a big classroom with science equipment, tables that stretched to the walls in five rows and a section for experiments.

Mr. Flynn was a cheerful kind of guy. Like the usual science teacher, he was Bill Nye the Science Guy kind of wacky.

"Ah, good! A new scholar," Mr. Flynn greeted.

"Yeah. I'm Lexi,"

"Nice to meet you, Lexi. Hey, do you want to see a cool trick?" He asked.

"Uhhh sure?" Lexi replied in confusion. He picked up what looked like a bucket with a plastic covering on the bottom with a thick string attached to it. He plugged in some sort of contraption that had smoke coming out of it.

"This is a smoke machine. Not real of course. But this bucket is specially built to make a perfect funnel of smoke eject from it," he explained, filling the bucket with smoke.

"This elastic string hits the plastic, forcing the smoke out like-" Mr. Flynn suddenly aimed the bucket towards Lexi and snapped the string. A perfect ring of smoke shot out, hitting Lexi in the face. It startled her when the giant puff of air hit her. Jen snorted behind her.

"Cool right? Ah there's more where that comes from. Now, I'll tell you more of the expectations when you start on Monday. It was nice meeting you," Mr. Flynn commented.

"You too," Lexi replied. Walking out, Jen chuckled. Lexi faced her.

"That was not funny," Lexi stated firmly.

"The look on your face was," Jen answered.

"What's next?" Lexi asked.

"Algebra 1," Jen responded with a teasing smirk. Lexi rolled her eyes. Walking to the classroom, a girl about Lexi's height and size swith dirty blonde hair and gray eyes approached them.

"Oh, sorry. I got lost. Do you know where Ms. Kondrin's class is?" she asked.

"That's where I'm heading now. Are you a Freshman?" Lexi replied. The girl nodded.

"Well, you can follow us," Lexi told her with a smile. The girl nodded.

"Thanks so much. My mom will probably kill me for worrying her. Eh, it's fine," she remarked.

"I'm Kirsten by the way," Kirsten introduced.

"I'm Lexi. This is my mom," Lexi replied.

"Hi," Kirsten waved with a grin.

"Nice to meet you, Kirsten. Good to see that Lexi has found a friend already," Jen answered.

They made it to the Algebra classroom to meet the teacher.

"Hello, I am Ms. Kondrin, the Algebra teacher. Are you two sisters?" The teacher greeted.

Lexi looked at the girl and shook her head. "No. She's a fellow Freshman," Lexi replied.

The teacher continued to tell them of the main testing and schedule along with the basic expectations.

"Where is your mother?" inquired.

"My mom is-" Kirsten started to reply.

"Kirsten, there you are!" a voice sounded behind them. They turned to see a woman with shoulder length dark brown hair behind them.

Kirsten smiled sheepishly. "Hey, Mom,"

"I've been looking everywhere for you," her mother stated firmly.

"Sorry. On the bright side, I found the classroom," Kirsten tried. Her mother rolled her eyes.

"Nice one, Kit," she replied sarcastically.

"Lexi and her mom helped me," Kirsten stated.

Her mother smiled at Jen. "Thank you for directing her, I appreciate it. Kit, we need to be getting home. Your aunt is visiting,"

Kirsten's eyes lit up. "Oh my gosh, really!? Yes!" she squealed. She turned to Lexi. "It was really nice to meet you, Lexi. Here, I'll give you my number,"

They exchanged numbers and Kirsten walked out with a wave.

Lexi turned to Jen. "Where to now?"

"Freshman English 2. With Mrs. Schmitt," Jen replied. They met the nice and quirky English teacher and left. Jen grinned.

"Clara?" Jen inquired.

"Jennifer!" Clara replied. "Nice to see you!"

"Your son goes here?" Jen asked. Clara nodded.

"Yes. Where is he anyways? EJ? Elliot!" Clara called. A boy with a mop of curly brown hair turned away from his group of friends and blushed.

"Mom..." EJ replied in embarrassment as he walked over.

"Jennifer, this is EJ," she introduced. Clara grinned. "Oh my! Is this your daughter? She is so pretty!" Clara remarked.

Jen nodded. "Thank you. Yes, this is Lexi,"

"Hi," Lexi replied shyly.

"Lex, this is the Director of the CIA's wife, Clara Palatino and their son, Elliot," Jen introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Lexi commented.

"Likewise, Lexi," Clara responded. "Don't be rude, EJ," she scolded.

EJ sighed. "Hi, I'm Elliot," he introduced himself.

Lexi nodded. "I'm Lexi. Are you in this class too?" Lexi asked.

"Yeah," EJ replied.

"Nice," Lexi remarked. There was an awkward silence as their mothers began to converse to themselves.

"Well, this is awkward..." Lexi commented. EJ chuckled.

"Yeah. It is," he agreed.

"So, what's it like having your parents work in the CIA?" Lexi inquired.

"Eh, it's okay. But when I'm in trouble, they know exactly how to get me to confess," EJ joked. Lexi chuckled.

"Same! My father is an NCIS special agent and my mom is the director. I basically get interrogated," Lexi replied.

"Yeah. So, I guess I'll see you around?" EJ answered. Lexi nodded. EJ and his mother left and Lexi looked at her mother expectantly.

"What's the last class?" Lexi asked.

"Art," Jen replied.

They walked into the art studio and Lexi gasped in amazement. There were many stools and counters along the room, a shelf of different paper and a huge cabinet of supplies. Decorative paint splatters covered the walls and a small section with an oven for making pottery.

"This is so awesome," Lexi commented in a daze.

"Close your mouth, Lexi. You'll catch flies," Jen joked. The art teacher chuckled.

"It looks like someone is amazed at the new layout. I'm Mr. Archer, the art instructor," he greeted.

"I'm Jennifer, her mother," Jen replied.

Lexi snapped out of her daze. "Oh, I'm Lexi. Freshman,"

"Nice to meet you. I'm glad that you picked art. You'll have loads of fun. Do you draw?" Mr. Archer inquired.

Lexi nodded. "Yeah, I do. I don't do anything realistic. Just sort of anime style cartoons and stuff," she replied.

"That's very nice! As long as you can hold a pencil to paper you'll be fine,"

Lexi smiled. "Will I get to use oil pastels and paint too? Those are my favorite,"

Mr. Archer nodded. "Most definitely. Paints, pastels, water colors mainly," he replied.

"Cool. Can't wait for Monday," Lexi remarked.

"Well I hope you enjoy this class. It was nice to meet you," Mr. Archer commented.

"You too," Lexi answered. As they left, Lexi sighed.

"Jeez, I have to walk around like this every day?" Lexi groaned.

"Yep. Isn't it great?" Jen replied teasingly.

"You know, you're mean for teasing me" Lexi pouted. Jen rolled her eyes.

"How about we head to Staples to go supply shopping?" Jen suggested. Lexi's pout faded and she wrapped her arms around Jen's middle.

"Did I mention how much I love you?" Lexi remarked with a big grin. Jen raised her eyebrows.

"You might've said it a few times," Jen replied with a smirk.

~*~NCIS~*~

The drive to Staples was uneventful, until a guy in a small car cut Jen off. Jen slammed a hand on the wheel.

"Nice job, _assh*le_!" She exclaimed. Lexi looked at her in shock. Her normally proper, yet outspoken mother had a temper, but she usually didn't use words like that. Well, not in front of her.

Jen sighed. "I'm sorry, Lexi. The people of DC are so rude sometimes. I didn't mean to curse in front of you."

Lexi shrugged. "It's cool, Mom. I've heard worse. You've probably called Gibbs worse names," she replied.

Jen raised her eyebrows. "Can't say I haven't," she remarked. She had definitely called Gibbs names that even Tony had never heard of. What she didn't know was that Lexi had accidentally overheard Jen vulgarly refer to Gibbs as an inappropriate sexual body part during an argument.

Arriving at Staples, Lexi jumped out of the car and ran out towards the store.

Jen shook her head in exasperation. Following Lexi inside of the store, she grabbed a cart.

"Lexi, will you slow down!" Jen snapped.

Lexi stopped. "Alright, sorry. I'm just excited," Lexi replied sheepishly.

"It's fine, honey. Come on," Jen replied. They walked into the first aisle that held the notebooks and folders. Lexi picked out 5 subject Five Star notebooks of 7 different colors along with folders to match.

"So I can differentiate which one is for each class," Lexi explained.

They moved on to the pencil and pen section where Lexi dropped a pack of mechanical pencils and different colored pens. Squealing, Lexi ran over to the giant stand of Sharpies in delight.

Jen didn't understand the need for 5 different shades of each color in a Sharpie, but rolled her eyes and let it happen.

Lexi pulled out loose leaf paper, 2 3" binders and dividers. The markers and colored pencils came next, along with glue sticks. Picking out paper clips, Jen interjected.

"No, Lexi. Trust me, get paper clips from Ziva. She has plenty," Jen warned. Lexi nodded and put them back. Afterwards, Lexi picked out a blue graphing calculator that was mandatory for all students.

Soon, Lexi began to annoy Jen with her Abby-like fast chatter.

"Lexi. Look at the aisle we are standing in. Do you really think it's a good idea to annoy me right now?" Jen interrupted.

Lexi stopped talking and looked around the aisle. Rulers and yardsticks were displayed in the shelf behind them.

"I'll stop talking now," Lexi remarked quickly.

Jen nodded. They picked up more mandatory things that she may need and made their way to check-out.

"Mom, can I have Airheads?" Lexi asked.

"_What_?" Jen replied in irritation.

"Airheads, Mom. You know, the candy-"

"I know what Airheads are, Lexi. I'm just confused as to why you want them," Jen interjected.

"Well, technically, I don't want them, I need them. And I want some candy in my possession for the first day," Lexi replied.

Jen didn't bother to ask how that made any sense. Again, she waved Lexi off and let it happen.

Paying for their purchases, they left and Lexi grinned.

"Thanks, Mom,"

"You're welcome, sweetie," Jen answered. "I think that it is time for lunch,"

Lexi grinned widely again. "Sounds like a plan! Italian?"

"Definitely," Jen replied with a smile. Then, they were off.

~*~NCIS~*~

Later on, Lexi packed all of her new school supplies into her purple Hurley backpack. After that was finished, Lexi checked her phone and saw a text from Kirsten.

_Lexi- Hey, sorry I was getting my supplies in order :)._

_Kirsten- Oh same! What's up? :)_

_Lexi- Eh, nothing much. Just about to pick out an outfit for school._

_Kirsten- Well, I'm wearing a graphic tee from Hot Topic._

_Lexi- I'll just wear mine then :P_

_Kirsten- Sounds good! So, we never actually got a chance to get to know each other._

_Lexi- I know right? Alright, well, my parents work at NCIS and their team is sort of my family._

_Kirsten- I was adopted from Ohio when I was 5. I was originally born in Russia. I've lived in Ohio with my mom and aunt until my mom wanted to move to DC._

_Lexi- That's so cool! :D_

_Kirsten- Yeah, I guess. My mom just wanted to move back here. She lived here 9 years ago...wait! You said NCIS!? :0_

_Lexi- Yeahh... Why? :/_

_Kirsten- My mom used to work there!_

_Lexi- You're lying! O.O_

_Kirsten- I swear, I'm serious. She used to work with these two guys and her boss was a Marine. There was a forensic scientist that was goth._

_Lexi's eyes widened._

_Lexi- What were the guys' names?_

_Kirsten- Ummm... Toby and Jim?_

_Lexi- And the goth girl?_

_Kirsten- Annie?_

_Lexi closed her eyes. This must be a strange coincidence. But Gibbs didn't believe in them._

_Lexi- You mean, Tony, Tim and Abby?_

_Kirsten- Now that you mention it, yeah!_

_Lexi- The Marine's name was Gibbs?_

_Kirsten- Yeah, I think._

_Lexi was beyond puzzled. She didn't know of anyone else working with them before Ziva. Lexi had gotten there in 2010, when she was 11. Ziva and Jen had started there in 2005._

_Lexi- Kirsten? What's your mom's name...?_

_Kirsten- Caitlyn Todd..._

~*~TBC~*~

Yep... I just did that. Now we know who the mystery girl is! Kate is back! I told you this story would take some twists and turns! The revelation will be crazyyyy! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

-Ally :)


	5. Chapter 5

Hey, here's Chapter 5. Meanwhile... Kate is supposedly back. How will the team react? How will they explain it to Lexi?

~*~NCIS~*~

Lexi was confused. She had never heard the name Caitlyn Todd before. If she had previously worked there before Ziva, she would have at least heard the name.

Lexi trudged downstairs to the kitchen where Gibbs started to make coffee and Jen sat at the table reading.

"Hey, sweetie, all set?" Jen inquired.

Lexi nodded. "Yeah..." She answered, eyeing Jen and Gibbs carefully.

She sat down nonchalantly. "So, I texted Kirsten," Lexi remarked.

"Who's Kirsten?" Gibbs asked.

"A girl I met today. We are in the same Algebra class. We exchanged numbers," Lexi replied.

"What did she say?" Jen asked.

"Oh, nothing. We started talking about ourselves," Lexi explained.

Gibbs nodded, sipping his coffee and reading the newspaper.

"She said that she was adopted from Ohio when she was 5, originally from Russia. Her and her mom moved here. She said that her mom lived here 9 years ago," Lexi continued casually.

"That's nice," Jen commented, eyes still in her book.

"Mmhm," Lexi replied. She walked into the kitchen and poured herself some juice from the fridge. "And, her mom worked in NCIS too back then,"

Gibbs' eyebrows raised as he continued to read. Jen didn't reply. Lexi rolled her eyes in impatience that her parents weren't getting her hints.

"Her mom's name is Caitlyn Todd. Do you know her?" Lexi finished, hoping for a reaction.

Oh she got a reaction alright. Gibbs promptly spit out his coffee and dropped the paper onto the floor. Jen dropped her book and her head snapped towards her.

Lexi was perplexed at their reaction. "Is there a problem?" She inquired.

"You must have heard it wrong," Gibbs remarked.

"We weren't on the phone. We were texting. I was asking this because I would have thought you knew her mom," Lexi replied. "What's the issue?"

"Nothing, no more about it," Gibbs stated.

"But-"

"ALEXIA, ENOUGH!" Gibbs thundered, making Lexi jump. She huffed and stomped up to her room, slamming the door forcefully.

Jen sighed. "Jethro..."

"No, Jen. Honestly, how is that even possible?" Gibbs replied.

"Jethro, it's probably a coincidence," Jen remarked.

"You know I don't believe in them, Jen," Gibbs told her firmly.

"Doesn't matter. Isn't it kind of weird to you that the person's name is Caitlyn Todd, and she worked here 9 years ago at NCIS?"

"Yeah, but Kate is dead. She was killed by Ari,"

"What if she wasn't?"

"Alright, Jen, now you're sounding like Lexi,"

"Think about it, who else named Caitlyn Todd worked at NCIS 9 years ago?"

Gibbs went silent.

"You never told her about Kate?" Jen inquired, crossing her arms.

"No, I haven't," Gibbs answered firmly.

"You should have at least told her about Kate, Jethro," Jen stated in irritation.

"She wouldn't understand," Gibbs sighed.

"She wouldn't understand!? Jethro, this is not an innocent little 6 year old we are dealing with. Like Lexi told SecNav, she is 13 almost 14 years of age," Jen snapped.

Gibbs grunted. "Fine. You explain it to Lexi then. I'll be in the basement," he growled. He walked down to the basement, slamming the door not unlike how Lexi did a few moments ago.

"Such a teenager," Jen huffed. She walked up to Lexi's room.

Jen knocked on Lexi's room door lightly. "Lexi?"

Jen heard Lexi grunt from inside of the room.

"Can you open the door, please?"

Jen waited a bit, before the knob turned and a sulking Lexi appeared.

"Have you come to yell at me too?" Lexi grumbled before turning and flopping onto her bed face down.

Jen sighed and sat on the bed next to her. "I know you're confused," Jen stated.

"Yeah, I am. I don't understand why he had that reaction," Lexi replied.

Jen stroked Lexi's hair. "Sweetie... I have to tell you something,"

Lexi looked up curiously. Jen sighed again.

"9 years ago, there was a woman who worked at NCIS on Gibbs' team... By the name of Caitlyn Todd. They called her Kate," Jen started.

Lexi nodded. Jen continued. "I was not here until later, but from what I was told, there was a man that started terrorizing the team. He shot Gibbs, kidnapped Kate, injured Ducky's old assistant and a bit more I'm sure," Jen explained.

"Then what happened?" Lexi asked.

"Um... Well, Kate and the team went to investigate the deaths of a pilot and Navy lieutenant. A car bomb exploded making Gibbs think that someone was after them. It was the same man. Long story short, the team found the man's location and a terrorist ambushed them. Kate saved Gibbs by going in the way of the bullet," Jen continued.

Lexi's eyes widened. "Did she-"

"No. She was wearing her Kevlar. It only knocked the wind out of her. When Gibbs helped her up, a lone bullet turned up, hitting her in the forehead," Jen finished.

Lexi gasped. "That's why I got such a strong reaction from Gibbs..."

"Yep. I came about a day or two after Kate's death. I went to her funeral and that was it. I've never seen a picture," Jen replied.

Lexi was speechless. "So, Ziva came the same time as you?"

Jen nodded. "Yes. The reason for the infamous slapfight was because Abby didn't agree to Ziva joining the team,"

"Oh... But, the team, they-they've known all this time. They couldn't even tell me," Lexi stated, crestfallen.

Jen saw the pain flash through Lexi's eyes and immediately felt bad.

"They could've told me.. Y-you knew, why didn't you tell me?" Lexi remarked, saddened.

Jen sighed. "Sweetie-" she started to reach over to rub her arm.

"Mom, I would like to be left alone, please," Lexi interrupted sharply, turning away from her.

Jen rose up from the bed and walked out, closing the door. She made her way down to the basement. At the bottom of the stairs, she shot Gibbs a fierce glare.

"I hope you're happy," Jen hissed.

"I'm guessing that the talk didn't go too well...?" Gibbs remarked, sanding the side of the boat.

"Ya think!?" Jen snapped. "She's hurt. Hurt that we didn't tell her,"

"We?"

"Yes, Jethro, WE. The team, me, and YOU," Jen stated. "She doesn't feel that it should have been kept a secret from her,"

"Dammit, Jen, I wasn't ready to tell her. Now that there is what you call, a coincidence going on, the conversation is going to be making a reappearance," Gibbs snapped.

"We don't know for sure. I have never even seen so much as a picture of Kate," Jen replied.

Gibbs reached into a drawer in one of the cabinets. Jen looked over his shoulder and saw that he had many photos of the team, Abby, Lexi, and her. He pulled out a picture from the bottom and gave it to her.

It was a picture of Abby and a woman with dark brown, shoulder length hair, smiling. Jen's eyes widened.

"Jethro... That's who I saw at Lexi's school," Jen whispered.

~*~NCIS~*~

Kirsten Todd finished texting her new friend. Kirsten thought she was cool, and she was glad that she had found a new friend.

It was a coincidence that Lexi's parents worked at NCIS, since her mother had worked there before they had moved to Ohio. She had worked as an FBI agent in Cincinnati before deciding that she wanted to move back to DC.

Kirsten walked to her mother's room where she was on the phone.

"Hey, Mom?" Kirsten called. Kate held up her hand.

"Yes, Caitlyn Todd speaking... Yes, that is correct," she remarked.

"Mom I need to-"

"Kit, wait," Kate interrupted, using her nickname.

Kirsten was very impatient. "But I-"

"Hold on one moment..." Kate said into the phone. She pressed the phone to her shoulder and scowled

"Kirsten Iyana Todd! You will wait until I am off of the phone!" She yelled.

Hearing her full name, Kirsten backed away and waited until her mother was finished with her phone conversation. Kate finished her phone call and placed her phone down.

Kate looked up. "Kit, I'm sorry for snapping at you. But you know that one of my pet peeves are that you don't interrupt me while I'm on the phone," Kate stated firmly.

Kirsten nodded. "I know, Mom. I'm sorry. I was just impatient to tell you something," she explained sheepishly.

"Alright honey, what is it?" Kate asked expectantly.

"I texted Lexi, the girl I met today," Kirsten stetted.

"Oh okay. Then what happened?" Kate replied.

"She said that her parents work at NCIS. It's kind of a coincidence since you worked there before right?" Kirsten remarked.

"It's complicated, Kit. We've been over this,"

"I know, but you've never told me why you left,"

"Sweetie, you wouldn't understand,"

Kirsten scowled. "Mom, I'm in high school now. I'm not a little kid!"

Kate sighed. "Fine. At the time that I left, multiple hits were put on me. All were close calls and even one grazed my shoulder. I never told anyone. My friends, co-workers, or even my boss. Work got stressful, so I left to Ohio," she explained.

"I still don't understand why you failed to tell me," Kirsten commented.

"That isn't all. I couldn't bring myself to tell them so... I faked my death. I made it look like I was murdered with the help of a few friends, but I wasn't really killed on a rooftop, it was all an act so the hits would stop," Kate admitted.

Kirsten gasped. "Mom... No way,"

Kate nodded. "Way. I've regretted leaving ever since. I would have come back, but my mother developed cancer so I had to take care of her. Sweetie, if I never did that, I wouldn't have adopted you,"

Kirsten nodded. "Yeah, but still. You need to tell them,"

Kate rolled her eyes. "Oh sure! Walk in there and say 'I faked my death!' and be completely positive that no one would faint or go insane from seeing a 'dead' person," she stated sarcastically.

"Mom, you have to. Lexi and I could become good friends. Her family works at NCIS, so with me around, they'll find out eventually," Kirsten stated.

"You're right, honey. That's why... I'm getting my job back," Kate replied.

Kirsten's eyes widened. "Seriously!? OMG yes!"

Kate sighed. "The thing is, I'm going to have to go to to the NCIS building for my revelation. I need you to come with me. Plus, I don't know how they'll react,"

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll have your six," Kirsten assured.

~*~NCIS~*~

"There is no way," Gibbs scoffed.

"Well what is another explanation!? I've never seen a picture of Kate before, and I am absolutely positive that that is Kirsten's mother!" Jen stated firmly.

"Kate is dead!" Gibbs growled. "I saw her get shot, I saw her body in Autopsy, and we all went to her funeral!"

"You're just in denial! You are masking the hurt that you're feeling since Kate just might be alive! Look at the reality, Jethro!" Jen yelled.

They heard the front door unlock.

"It's Tony and Ziva. It's Thursday, movie night. Abby and McGee couldn't make it," Gibbs explained.

Jen nodded. "Maybe you should reveal our discoveries to them as well,"

Gibbs grunted in reply. Jen sighed and started up the stairs. She stopped and looked back at Gibbs.

"Jethro? If Kate really is alive despite your denial, how will you react?"

Gibbs sighed and continued to sand his boat. Jen shook her head and left the basement.

~*~NCIS~*~

Tony and Ziva arrived at Gibbs' house with movies and food in hand. Of course, the door was unlocked, so they went in. Setting the stuff down on the kitchen counter, Tony looked around.

"Okay, something isn't right here," Tony remarked.

Setting down the food, Ziva looked around as well.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I mean, something's off. Usually Lexi would be bombarding us right now, and she probably would try to eat the raw cookie dough you brought before you got a chance to bake it," Tony replied.

"You are right. I should go see-"

"No, Zi, don't. She feels hurt and angry right now," Jen interrupted.

"Why?" Ziva inquired.

Jen sighed. "I told her about Kate,"

Tony looked incredulous and Ziva gasped slightly.

"What?" Tony answered.

"Lexi met a girl today at her school. They exchanged numbers and long story short, her mother's name is Caitlyn Todd. Jethro showed me a picture of Kate, and it turned out to be the same woman that I saw at Lexi's school," Jen explained.

Tony was speechless for a moment. He snapped out of it. "But that is impossible. Kate was shot and killed. How could she have faked that?"

"We don't know. But I'm sure that Kate will come and tell us for herself," Jen replied.

Tony and Ziva nodded. This opened a new door for them. Tony always felt guilty that he wasn't able to protect Kate, and Ziva was always guilty because of the fact that her own brother had killed her. This will hurt Abby the most since she was affected greatly by the tragedy.

"Why don't the both of us go up there and check on her?" Tony suggested.

"Go ahead. Just remember that she's upset, she'll say anything," Jen warned.

Tony and Ziva walked upstairs and around the corner to Lexi's bedroom. The door was shut tightly.

Tony looked at Ziva and gestured to the door. Ziva gave him a look.

"Open it," Tony whispered.

"Why don't you do it?" Ziva hissed.

"Because, she'll listen to you most definitely," Tony whispered.

Ziva scoffed. "Okay, just because I have spanked her does not mean-"

"I can hear you two! Just come in already," Lexi called from the room.

They opened the door and found Lexi sitting up in her bed with her headphones in her ears.

"Hey, Lexigator, what's up?" Tony inquired softly.

Lexi scowled. "Oh nothing. Just embracing the fact that my family thinks I'm a baby,"

Tony sighed. "We don't think you're a baby, Lexi. We just didn't think you'd-"

"Understand?" Lexi interrupted. She scoffed. "Like I haven't heard that one before,"

"It would be complicated to explain," Ziva tried.

"Save it, Ziva," Lexi remarked firmly. "This is not the talk about the birds and the bees. I've been there,"

Ziva looked at Tony in puzzlement. He rolled his eyes. "Listen, Squirt, we didn't think that we could tell you, since the loss was very tragic,"

"You didn't think you could tell me? There are 6 of you that were there or that knew the story. Not ONE of you could have just said, 'We had this girl named Kate on the team who worked here before Ziva, but she died..' And so on. Even though it seems like she's alive now, you could have still told me," Lexi snapped.

She softened a bit and looked down. "It wasn't just the fact that you guys kept this from me that hurt, I just felt like you guys didn't trust me to handle it,"

Tony tipped her chin up to loo. "Hey now, we trust you. Okay, so one of us should have told you, and I'm sorry that I didn't. Kate's death affected all of us. But you know what? You helped us find her,"

Lexi looked up. "H-how?"

"When you met that girl, her mother turned out to be our 'long-lost sister.' Now, our family is complete. Because of you," Tony replied.

Lexi hugged both of them tightly. "I'm so sorry guys. I thought that you guys just thought I was too childish. I'm not mad at you,"

"It is alright, tateleh. On another note, it is movie night. And there might be some cookie-" Ziva started when Lexi raced through her door.

Tony snorted. "Told you. You'd better run before she eats it all," he chuckled.

~*~NCIS~*~

"So, Mom. Can you tell me about your old teammates?" Kirsten asked curiously as Kate was cooking dinner for her sister Rachel's visit.

Kate considered this. "Hmm... There was Tony. Childish, immature, annoying... But caring, kind and funny. He was like the annoying older brother," he explained.

"Oh wow..." Kirsten remarked.

"Mmhm. He would quote movies, constantly. Every classic you could think of," Kate stated with a chuckle.

Kirsten nodded. "Tim?"

"Tim's the nerd. Genius on computers, quiet and kind of chubby. I could be wrong, he's probably lost a lot of weight and he's probably a lot less quiet and shy like he was before," Kate replied.

"Abby is a goth. A happy, energetic goth. She's addicted to Caf Pow! and is great with forensics. She's really cool," Kate continued

"Ducky's the Medical Examiner. He is a Scotsman and a brilliant listener. He has a habit of sometimes talking to his dead bodies... Yeah, weird, but you got used to it. He tells the greatest stories,"

Kirsten was in awe. "That is so cool. I want to meet them,"

Kate smiled. "And then, the Fearless Leader, Gibbs. He's the tough Marine sniper who could end you with one look. But he's a softie for kids. He drinks more coffee in a day than an average American does in a year. He has a boat in his basement (we don't know why) and his favorite is Abby. He has this habit of smacking Tony and Tim on the back of the head, basically to get their attention. It's pretty funny. Well, that's it," Kate finished.

Kirsten considered this. "I definitely want to meet them," she stated.

Kate smiled. "Soon, honey. I'm sure they'll want to meet you also,"

~*~NCIS~*~

A/N: ...This chapter ._. ... Eh whatevs... So yeah, Kate is back. Idgaf if she's dead, she's alive now! She'll have to reveal the truth soon, and Lexi and Kirsten get to know each other. Those two together is not a good combo! Yep, it starts again, Lexi and Kirsten, parters in crime! Thanks Loverofallthingsmusic!

-Ally :)


	6. Chapter 6

Here's chapter 6! So, Kate has to make her big revelation, Kirsten is introduced and the NCIS family is complete! But... Kirsten + Lexi= TROUBLE!

~*~CHAPTER 6~*~

The next day...

Lexi texted Kirsten back and forth. Kirsten told her about her mother's decision to reunite with the team at NCIS. Truthfully, they were nervous. Lexi because it sure would be an emotional revelation, and Kirsten because she was nervous about meeting the team.

Lexiluvsya1023- Are you guys here yet? ._.

KitKat1924- Yeah... My mom is freaking out... :(

Lexiluvsya1023- The team is totally about to pee themselves :/

KitKat1924- I'm going into the elevator. Ugh my mom is taking another entrance .

Lexiluvsya1023- I'm going into the bullpen. Everyone is here.

KitKat1924- I'll be here in 3... 2... 1

At that moment, the elevator doors opened to reveal Kirsten. She cheerfully skipped out and embraced Lexi.

"Hi, Lexi!" Kirsten greeted.

"Hey, Kirsten, glad you came," Lexi replied. She turned to the team.

"You guys, this is Kirsten," Lexi introduced.

Kirsten grinned. "Hi, everyone," she answered. She walked to Tony.

"Are you... Toby?" Kirsten asked.

"Tony. Nice to meet you," Tony responded. Kirsten nodded and eyed McGee.

"So that makes you... Jim?"

McGee chuckled. "Tim. Good to meet you," he corrected.

"Annie?" Kirsten asked Abby.

"Abby, Forensic Specialist Extraordinaire. Nice to meet ya," Abby greeted in her usual bubbly way.

Kirsten grinned. Her mom was right, Abby WAS cool!

Kirsten looked at Ziva quizzically for a moment. She didn't know her of course.

"I am Ziva," Ziva told her. Kirsten nodded and smiled. Her eyes flitted to Jenny.

"Nice seeing you again, Kirsten," Jenny remarked.

"You too, ma'am," Kirsten replied. She stepped towards Gibbs.

"You're Gibbs?" Kirsten inquired.

Gibbs nodded. "That's right. It's good to meet you, Kirsten," he replied.

"Likewise, sir," Kirsten answered politely. Gibbs looked like a no-nonsense kind of guy.

"Don't call me 'sir', Kirsten. I work for a living," Gibbs corrected.

"Yes, s- uh Gibbs," Kirsten answered.

"So, where is your mother, Kirsten?" Jen inquired.

"I actually don't know. I'll call her," Kirsten answered. She took out her phone and dialed her mother's number. After a ring, she picked up.

"Mom? Where are you?... What do you mean, 'where am I?'... I'm in the bullpen, waiting for you!... Mom, just hurry," Kirsten hung up.

"She's coming," Kirsten stated sweetly. After an awkward silence, Kirsten's face lit up.

"Good! You've finally decided to make it!" Kirsten remarked sarcastically.

"Watch the sarcasm, young lady," Kate replied sternly.

The team turned and utter shock took over them. Abby's eyes filled with tears.

"K-Kate!?" Tony choked out. In front of him was his old partner, who had supposedly died 9 years before. She hadn't changed much, except that her hair was a lighter brown.

Kate nodded. "Hey, Tony,"

"B-but, you- You were- I..." McGee stuttered.

Kate chucked slightly. "Nice to see you, Tim," she noticed Abby.

"Abs..." Kate started. Abby sniffled and ran towards her, embracing her in a tight hug.

'God I've missed her hugs...' She thought.

"I know, Abs. I'm back now," Kate replied, hugging her back. She turned to Gibbs who had an unreadable expression on his face.

"Gibbs?" Kate remarked. Gibbs rose from his seat and walked to the elevator. Kate followed him. The doors shut and Gibbs slammed the emergency stop button, making Kate flinch.

"Want to explain?" Gibbs inquired calmly.

"Um... Well, yes," Kate started. Gibbs raised an eyebrow.

"I'm listening," Gibbs stated. Kate's eyes filled with tears.

"I know the pain I've caused you all-"

"No you don't! You will never know the pain that was caused! Thinking one of our own family was dead!" Gibbs roared suddenly, making Kate step back.

"Abby stayed in her lab for days! Crying and hurt. The woman you saw out there, that's Ziva. She joined the team shortly after your 'death'. She couldn't even sit at your desk because we all told her, 'That's Kate's desk,' and what's worse, Abby took out all of her pain and anger out on HER! McGee was frightened out of his mind to see your 'body' in Autopsy, which obviously wasn't you! Tony was guilty because he had failed to protect you," Gibbs continued.

Kate looked down. Of course she didn't know the pain she caused them. She had absolutely no idea. She looked up into Gibbs' icy blue eyes with tears in her own hazel ones.

"And you?" Kate asked.

Gibbs sighed. "I had lost my daughter,"

Kate broke down in sobs at that. Gibbs held her tightly while she cried into his chest.

"I don't care about Rule 6, I'm sorry! I'm sorry for all of the pain! I'm sorry that you all suffered without me! I'm sorry I never told you!" Kate sobbed.

Gibbs held her silently. "Tell me what happened,"

"Multiple hits were put on me. It got so stressful. I couldn't tell anyone, not even you because of the whole Ari thing. So, I faked my death, don't ask how. I faked my death so the hits would stop. I promise, I would have come back, but my mother developed pancreatic cancer and I had to stay behind and help my sister, Rachel take care of her. I adopted Kirsten from Russia a year later. You have to believe me, Gibbs I-" Kate rambled.

"Hey, I believe you, Kate. You just have to go out there and explain to the team,"

"And hope that they'll forgive me,"

"Believe me, they will just be glad you're back,"

Kate smiled a bit. "I hope you're right, Gibbs. Kirsten was told about you all, and she's wanted to meet you,"

Gibbs smiled. "We had just told Lexi about you. She's glad that she has another older sister. You won't believe the stories that we have,"

Kate smiled and nodded. She was glad to be back to her family.

~*~NCIS~*~

Kate had nervously explained to the team of what happened to cause her to leave.

"I hope that you all forgive me, for all of the pain I've caused you," Kate remarked.

"Aw, Kate. I forgive you," Tony replied.

"Of course I forgive you Kate!" Abby squealed.

"Yeah, I forgive you, Kate. We've all missed you," McGee commented.

Kate smiled. "Thanks, you guys,"

"Kate, meet Ziva. She came here shortly after you left," Gibbs introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Kate remarked.

"Likewise. They have told me great things about you," Ziva answered with a smile.

"This is the Director of NCIS, Jen Shepard," Gibbs continued.

"Nice to finally meet you, Kate," Jen stated.

"You too, ma'am," Kate replied.

"And last but definitely not least, this is Lexi. Our daughter," Gibbs finished.

"Hi, Kate, it's nice to meet you," Lexi commented with a grin.

"You too, honey. I'm glad that Kirsten has a little companion with her now," Kate responded.

Lexi glanced at Kirsten who smiled. "Yeah, same," Lexi stated. They had then spent some time exchanging stories about when Kate was there.

"Tony! That is so mean!" Lexi scolded.

"I agree, but that is so like Tony," Ziva commented.

Kate nodded. "I'll say. He made me think that the snake around my ankle was poisonous, but McGee told me it was harmless. He was such a jerk,"

"Hey!" Tony protested. "That was priceless. But not as priceless as the time that we had a prank war at a stakeout and Ziva tried to make it stop. She refused to eat the food I bought and checked everything I gave to her. We were even when I unscrewed every bolt from her chair,"

Ziva glared. "What about the time you got a call from the sperm bank telling you that they did not want your sperm," she retorted. Kirsten and Lexi squealed with laughter.

"Ha! That beats everything!" Kate laughed. Gibbs shook his head with a chuckle.

"Or the endless times when Tony superglued McGee's fingers to his keyboard," Ziva commented with an eye roll.

"Classic," Kate replied. She turned to Lexi. "I'm sure you have a few stories. You've been pretty quiet,"

Tony scoffed. "Her rap sheet can keep going from here to California,"

Lexi glared at Tony. "I've got a few," she shrugged.

"Name one," Kate commented.

"What about the time when I snuck out of NCIS to my friend's house while Ziva was taking care of me. She told me no and I went anyways. When she got a hold of me, I got it good," Lexi explained.

Kate chuckled. "That sounds like something Kit did once,"

Kirsten winced and nodded. "Yeah. I got mad at my mom because she said I couldn't go to the mall with my friend, Penny. I went anyway and when I came back, it turned out that my mom had spent hours looking for me. Long story short, I couldn't sit for a week,"

The team raised an eyebrow at how similar Lexi and Kirsten were. That couldn't be a good sign.

"Or the time that I ran away from home because I thought everyone would be better off without me," Lexi continued.

"Same. My mom threatened to give it to me good next time I worried her," Kirsten responded.

"Okay, does anyone else notice how similar these two are? Or is it just me?"Tony interrupted.

"I agree," Kate remarked. The team and Jen nodded in agreement.

Kirsten and Lexi looked at each other and grinned.

~*~NCIS~*~

Later on...

Everyone gathered at Gibbs' house. Kirsten and Lexi went up to Lexi's room to talk more.

"So, Lexi. I'm really glad that I've met the team and stuff. If they're like your family, my mom is their family, so I'm your family too?" Kirsten inquired. Lexi put a hand on her shoulder.

"Of course. I'm just glad that I have someone my age with me," Lexi replied.

Kir sten smiled. "Me too! I've been really lonely,"

After a few moments of silence, Kirsten turned to Lexi. "Hey, do you have band with Ms. Taylor?"

"Yep! First period!"

"Oh my gosh, same! I was asking because I play the flute. I don't have my own,"

Lexi went over to her shelf and pulled out a case containing a flute.

"Here," Lexi remarked, passing it to Kirsten. "It's yours. You play?"

Kirsten nodded. "Thanks so much. What do you play?" she inquired, putting the flute together.

"Trumpet," Lexi replied, pulling out another case with her silver trumpet. Quickly assembling the mouthpiece, she put it to her lips and played a scale. Kirsten grinned and put the flute to her lips, joining Lexi.

"You're really good!" Lexi commented.

"Not as good as you!" Kirsten replied.

"Hey, I have an idea. Follow me," Lexi stated. They silently walked downstairs where Tony lay dozing off in the couch and the other adults were in the kitchen. Inching towards Tony, Lexi put the trumpet to her lips.

Lexi began to loudly play the 'Reveille' in Tony's ear. He jumped up from the couch and stood in an instant salute. Noticing the giggling teens, he scowled.

"Not funny," he growled. "I thought your mother said no playing musical instruments in here,"

"As long as I don't get caught, I'm fine," Lexi scoffed.

"Well not quite..." Kirsten trailed off nervously.

Lexi shut her eyes before turning and seeing Jen with a stern expression on her face behind her.

"Alright, alright..." Lexi grumbled. In a small act of defiance, she walked away, quietly playing a failure sound effect on her trumpet. Kirsten followed.

Jen rolled her eyes and walked back into the kitchen.

"Lexi again?" Ziva asked.

Jen nodded. "The girl can't stay out of trouble for 5 minutes," she remarked.

"What happened out there?" McGee inquired.

"Lexi brought out her trumpet and played the Reveille into Tony's ear," Jen replied.

"And what about Kirsten?" Kate asked.

"No. You know, Kate, she doesn't seem like the type to actually get into trouble," Jen remarked.

Kate laughed. "It is, after all, her first day. Wait until about Sunday. The pranks will start to roll in,"

"Lexi is on pretty thin ice with the pranks. I told her that the next time she pranked, I won't hold back," Jen stated.

"Was there ever a time when you did?" Gibbs asked. Jen chuckled.

"They seem to be becoming partners in crime," Ziva remarked.

"Very true. It's scary how similar they are," Kate replied.

"Lexi is bubbly, outgoing, loud, and a complete smart ass," Jen commented.

"Kirsten is high-spirited, dramatic, and rambunctious with a sarcastic attitude," Kate replied. They laughed.

"Yep. Completely similar. I guess that we have 2 little troublemakers on our hands," Gibbs stated.

~*~NCIS~*~

"So Kirsten, are you 13 too?" Lexi inquired.

"Yeah. I skipped 2nd grade so I'm younger than everyone else. My birthday is February 14th," Kirsten answered.

"I skipped 2nd grade too! My birthday is January 15th," Lexi squealed.

Kirsten's eyes widened. "What's your favorite color?" She inquired.

"Purple. You?" Lexi responded.

"Lime green," Kirsten answered.

"Ummm... Favorite food?" Lexi asked.

"Italian," Kirsten replied.

"Same. Favorite hobby?" Lexi inquired.

"Listening to music, and mischief usually," Kirsten answered with a sly smile.

"I think we were made for each other," Lexi joked. Kirsten laughed and nodded.

"Hey, so can you tell me about the team? More I mean. I don't quite know much about Ziva or your mom," Kirsten remarked.

"Sure! Well, Tony is my older brother. He's really weird and goofy and kind of cocky sometimes. He loves movies and is the first to get headslapped by Gibbs. But honestly, he gets really serious and stern at times," Lexi explained.

Kirsten nodded. "Tim is the computer geek. He's really smart and he has a sister named Sarah who's in Europe with her mom. He can be really shy and stuff and he's the Probie, or Probationary Agent. Be careful, he can be sterner than Tony. I've been there," Lexi remarked.

Kirsten raised her eyebrows. "Ziva is from Israel. She was in Mossad, basically the Israeli Army I guess. She's a tough, no nonsense ninja. She gets most of the American sayings wrong and it's pretty funny. Don't mess with her if you want to live. Other than that, she's awesome and chill and has exceptional cooking skills," Lexi continued.

"Gibbs is the tough Marine. He knows and sees all. That's why no one can get away with anything around here. He always finds out. He has these rules he set for himself and basically lives by. Don't mess with his coffee is one of them. He's an awesome NCIS agent and is pretty stealthy and quiet most of the time," Lexi told her.

"My mom told me that he drinks A LOT of coffee," Kirsten replied.

"You have no idea," Lexi commented. "Abby is the bestest, happiest goth ever! She listens to loud metal music like Plastic Death and Brain Matter. Caf Pow! Is her fuel and keeps her running. She may seem like a pushover, but trust me, she's not one to be tested," Lexi warned.

"Umm... Oh yeah! My mom. My mom is the Director of NCIS, one of the only females in a man's world of politics basically. She's a redheaded spitfire with a quick wit and a temper. Gibbs has made her temper appear many times by pissing her off. Just don't piss her off, it gets ugly. Other than that, she is a great listener, totally cool and funny and she makes a killer chocolate chip pancake," Lexi finished.

Kirsten gaped. "Wow... That is awesome! I so love this family," she remarked.

"One thing, no matter what you do, no one judges you. Yeah, you get into trouble and get punished. But after, no one speaks bad of you. They love you no matter what," Lexi explained.

"That's good. It must be cool to have a big family that has your back," Kirsten commented

"Yeah. But they also have my ass too," Lexi replied.

"So they've all punished you before?" Kirsten asked.

"Except Tony, Ducky and of course, your mom," Lexi answered.

"Oh wow. That must suck," Kirsten remarked.

"Yeah. But I'm glad because I know they all love me enough to do it," Lexi answered. "Oh, I forgot to ask. Tell me about your mom,"

Kirsten thought for a moment. "Well... My mom is cool, funny and mostly sarcastic. Her cooking is brilliant and she's totally obsessed with Oreos for some reason. While she's laid back and stuff, she can be really stern like you said. Don't mess with her, Lexi. She doesn't take too kindly to back talk, disrespect, lying etc. Spankings from her are something to avoid at all costs," Kirsten warned.

"I can say the same for my mom," Lexi agreed.

"Now that that's been cleared up, I'm really bored. I think we both know what that means," Kirsten stated with a grin.

Lexi got the same grin. "Yep. Free-for-all?"

"Free-for-all," Kirsten repeated.

~*~NCIS~*~

The adults stayed in the kitchen, talking and laughing. After a while, Ziva narrowed her eyes.

"What is it, Zi?" Jen asked.

Ziva looked around. "They have been quiet... Too quiet," she remarked.

Jen nodded slightly. "I agree. That can't be good,"

"Ah, Jen. Don't worry. They can't be doing anything that bad can they?" Gibbs scoffed.

At that moment, they heard a...

SMASH!

"Oh crap!" They heard Lexi remark.

"Oh gosh we're in trouble!" Kirsten replied.

"We!? You knocked it over!" Lexi retorted.

"You bumped into me!" Kirsten yelled.

"Did not!" Lexi replied.

"Did too!" Kirsten answered.

"Not!"

"Too!"

Jen glared at Gibbs. "They can't be doing anything that bad can they?" she mocked sarcastically.

McGee, Kate and Ziva fought the urge to snort. Abby covered her mouth in amusement. Tony tried hiding a grin. This was only the beginning of interesting adventures ahead!

A/N: Next chapter includes Kirsten and Lexi in school! Thanks for all of your support! Love ya Loverofallthingsmusic! Don't know what I'd do without you!

-Ally :)

~*~NCIS~*~FOOD~*~LIFE~*~


	7. Chapter 7

~*~ Chapter 7 ~*~

Lexi heard a voice calling to her. She didn't want to follow it, she was too busy dreaming of her winning a soccer match... She kicks the ball, it goes flying straight for the net and...

"Lexi, wake up!"

Lexi jolted out of her dream. She sleepily opened her eyes to see her mother opening her curtain to let light into the room. Groaning, Lexi pulled the thick comforter over her and stuck her head under the pillow in an attempt to return to sleep.

Jen shook her head in exasperation. She yanked Lexi's comforter off of the bed, causing Lexi to curl up into a ball and grumble a curse word that was thankfully muffled.

"Let's go, Lexi. It's time for school," Jen remarked, cheerfully clapping her hands. Lexi grumbled something incoherent into her pillow.

"That's the spirit, honey!" Jen commented. Lexi's breathing evened out and Jen looked at her watch.

"You have exactly 10 seconds to get out of bed before I call Jethro to bring the cold water bucket in," Jen warned.

Lexi's head shot up and she glared. "You wouldn't," she challenged.

Jen put a hand on her hip and scowled. "Try me," she retorted.

Lexi's eyes widened as she hopped out of bed and raced to the bathroom. Gibbs walked into the room and smirked.

"Wow. And it only took you 3 minutes and 32 seconds," Gibbs remarked, handing her a 5 dollar bill.

"Warned her with the old ice cold water bucket trick. Works wonders," Jen replied, taking the money in triumph.

~*~NCIS~*~

"Kitty cat, time for school!" Kate sang, pulling the covers from Kirsten.

"Oh my gosh it is NOT morning," Kirsten whined sleepily.

"Oh but it is, my darling. 6:05 AM to be exact," Kate replied.

Kirsten flopped back onto the bed. Kate flickered the light switch.

"Let's go! Up up up!" Kate remarked loudly. Kirsten groaned and dragged herself out of bed forcefully. She walked to the bathroom and winced at the state of her dirty blonde hair. Kirsten set the shower on cold to wake her up. After her shower, she brushed her teeth and blow-dried her hair. She walked back into her room and started to get dressed.

After she was dressed, she quickly straightened her hair. Kate walked in her room when she was placing her things into her backpack.

"I like your outfit, sweetie," Kate complimented.

Kirsten grinned. "Thanks," she replied. She was wearing a lavender sweater, dark jeans and brown moccasins. A gold necklace with the letter K hung around her neck.

Sprinting downstairs-despite her mother's many warnings not to run in the house-Kirsten sat at the dinner table where a plate of blueberry pancakes sat waiting for her with a glass of milk. When she finished eating, her mother met her downstairs.

"Time to go to NCIS, honey," Kate announced. Kate had previously gone to NCIS to talk to Jen about whether she was able to get her job back. Jen agreed to it and put the paperwork through. It would take a little while but not too long.

Kirsten placed her plate in the dishwasher and ran through the hallways towards the front door. Kate grabbed her arm before she made it there.

"What have I told you about running in the house?" Kate snapped.

Kirsten smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Mom. I'm just excited,"

Kate smiled and shook her head. "It's fine. Come on, let's go,"

Kirsten grinned and grabbed her bag. When they arrived at NCIS, Kirsten ran through the doors excitedly. Kate sighed and followed, quickly receiving her visitor's pass.

Kirsten arrived in the bullpen. She spotted Lexi across the bullpen and sprinted towards her. Lexi turned in surprise and squealed.

"Oh my gosh you're here!" Lexi yelled.

"You too! I love your hair!" Kirsten replied, touching Lexi's straightened hair.

"I love yours too!" Lexi squealed. They both started to quickly and loudly express their excitement. Tony, Ziva and McGee watched from their desks.

"Teenagers," Tony mumbled.

"I think it is cute," Ziva remarked. McGee chuckled.

Tony snorted. "The ninja thinks it's cute. That's rich," he chuckled. Ziva rolled her eyes.

Kate appeared in the bullpen with irritation visible on her face. "Geez, Kirsten would you slow down?"

"Can't be late for the first day," Kirsten shrugged. Lexi giggled. Kate rolled her eyes.

"You look very nice, Lexi," Kate complimented.

Lexi smiled. "Thanks, Kate," she replied. It had taken her a while to think about what she was going to wear. She had finally chosen a red and gray plaid button-down that was tucked into gray skinny jeans with black converse. Her hair was perfectly straightened and she left it out to hang to her chest with her bangs on the left side of her face. A silver necklace with a heart hung around her neck.

Abby suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "OHMIGOSH ohmigosh, Lexi! Kirsten! You're in high school now! You're growing up! Oh my gosh we are so old!" she squealed.

Kate and Ziva raised an eyebrow. "We?" They both said simultaneously.

"Well not 'we' but..." Abby trailed off.

"She probably means Tony," Lexi joked. Ziva and McGee snorted.

"Hey! I'll have you know that Kate is older than me!" Tony protested. Kate glared at Tony.

Lexi scoffed. "Yeah, sure. If Kate's older than you, Gibbs is still in his 40's," Lexi remarked. They all laughed.

Lexi then watched everyone's expression turn either amused or awkward.

"Gibbs?" Lexi remarked.

"Uh huh," he answered from behind her.

"How much did you hear?" Lexi inquired.

"Only all of it,"

"In my defense, Tony started it,"

Tony was baffled. "What-how!?"

"By being old," Kirsten mumbled, making everyone in the room laugh, and even Gibbs chuckled.

"Lexi, your mother wants you in her office," Gibbs stated.

Kirsten looked at Kate, silently asking if she could follow. Kate motioned for her to go ahead. Lexi and Kirsten ran up the stairs to Jen's office. Knocking first and hearing 'enter', Lexi and Kirsten entered Jen's office.

"Good morning, Kirsten," Jen greeted.

"Good morning, ma'am," Kirsten answered in her usual polite way. Jen had noticed that Kirsten was more polite and a bit nervous around her.

"So, Mom, why did you want me?" Lexi asked curiously.

Jen sat back in her seat and crossed her legs. "Well, since today is your first day of high school, I thought that it would be a good time to go over a few things," she replied.

Lexi rolled her eyes. She knew exactly what that meant.

"Now, I am not giving you a random lecture, it's more of a warning that you need to take seriously," Jen stated.

"I know I know. Basically, behave and get good grades?" Lexi remarked nonchalantly. Kirsten rolled her eyes at Lexi's attitude. Couldn't she see how serious her mother was being?

"You're being casual about it now, but later on you'll wish you'd listened," Jen commented firmly. She continued.

"Now, I think you should be introduced to the rule, 'If you are in trouble in school, you're in trouble at home'," Jen turned to Kirsten. "I'm sure you're familiar with that rule, Kirsten?"

Kirsten nodded. "Yes ma'am. My mom always told me that if I'm in trouble in school, you'd best believe that I'm in trouble with her when I got home," she replied.

Jen nodded. "That also applies to you, Lexi. Your grades should not fall below A's and B's. Cheating, disrespect, fighting etc. is completely unacceptable. Do I make myself clear?"

Lexi sighed. "Yes ma'am," she replied.

Jen softened a bit. "Do your best and please be yourself. I hope your first day goes well for the both of you,"

Lexi nodded. "I will, Mom," she answered.

Jen smiled. "Good, sweetie. Now, I'd like to speak to Kirsten alone,"

Kirsten's eyes widened. Lexi smirked and nodded. She walked out and closed the door. Kirsten looked down at her feet.

"Kirsten?" Jen asked.

"Yes, Director?" Kirsten answered.

"You don't have to be so nervous around me, honey," Jen remarked softly.

Kirsten shrugged. "I just... I'm a lot more polite around most forms of authority...principals, bosses, directors..."

Jen nodded. "That's a good thing. But come on, I'm not that bad, am I?"

Kirsten shook her head. "No, not at all,"

"Alright. Whatever Lexi said-"

"No, Lexi never said anything bad. Actually, she said that you're really chill and fun and awesome," Kirsten interrupted quickly.

Jen smiled. "She did? And what else?"

"That you have a temper... Only if you get peed off,"

Jen rolled her eyes. "Lexi of all people should know. But honey you won't see me get angry with you too often. It's just as if Lexi likes to see me angry sometimes. I'm not going to kill anyone,"

Kirsten smiled slightly. "Okay,"

"Good. Chill out some, hun. I like seeing that pretty smile on your face," Jen commented.

Kirsten blushed. "Yes, ma'am,"

"Kirsten?" Jen remarked in amusement.

"Yeah?" Kirsten replied.

"It's Jenny. No need to be so formal all the time," Jen stated.

"Okay...Jenny," Kirsten repeated.

"Alright, sweetie, it was nice talking to you. We should get going," Jen commented.

"Right," Kirsten answered. When they returned to the bullpen, Abby pulled out her camera.

"Come on, I need a picture to put on my wall in the lab," Abby remarked.

She had a giant wall of photos and collages of the team. Photos of Ziva, Tony, Kate, McGee, Gibbs, Jenny, Ducky, Jimmy, and Lexi all hung respectively in their places on the wall. Even the numerous 'selfies' that Lexi would take on Abby's camera when Abby wasn't around.

They posed with Lexi's hand on Kirsten's shoulder and her other hand on her own hip. Kirsten had her hand in a peace sign. Tony had blurted out a highly inappropriate and random word that resulted in the girls bursting into laughter at the same time that Abby took the photo, earning him a sharp headslap from Gibbs.

After the picture was taken, the girls got their things and hugged the team goodbye.

"Goodbye, Lexigator. Goodbye, Kit-Kat," Abby remarked sadly.

"Bye Kristen. Bye Alexis," Tony commented, purposefully getting their names wrong in an attempt at a light hearted joke.

"Have a good day, girls," Ziva said.

"Bye Lex, bye Kit," McGee followed with a wave. When the girls, Kate and Jenny left the bullpen, Tony sighed.

"I'm gonna miss Lexi running around here," Tony stated.

"She's not dead, Tony," McGee replied with an eye roll.

"I know that, McGeek. It's just weird not having her around as often. Kirsten too. They are so much alike, so it's weird to have such an awkward silence all the time," Tony snapped.

"I really hope that their first day goes well," Ziva commented.

"Same. Hopefully they at least behave themselves," McGee stated.

"Hopefully you all get back to WORK!" Gibbs snapped, coming out of nowhere.

"Yes, Boss!" Tony and McGee replied.

"Yes, Gibbs," Ziva followed.

~*~NCIS~*~

When they pulled up at the girls' school, Kirsten and Lexi exchanged a glance.

"Um, Mom? You don't have to come in, you know. We can handle it," Lexi stated.

"Yeah, we can find our way," Kirsten added.

Kate and Jen looked at each other in amusement. They knew that the girls didn't want to be embarrassed.

"Come on, guys. We are just going to go into the office to drop off papers about your doctor and dentist visits. We aren't staying," Kate replied with a chuckle.

Lexi sighed. "Alright..." she remarked.

They entered the school through the main office. Jen and Kate dropped off the paperwork that needed to be filled out. Lexi and Kirsten tried to leave the office without being seen.

"Freeze," Jen remarked. The girls froze.

"Can't leave without your schedule can you? Then how will you get around?" Kate stated, pulling out Kirsten's schedule.

Kirsten took her schedule. "Right. Thanks," Kirsten replied.

"We are bound to get lost anyways," Lexi mumbled.

"Got your schedule?" Jen asked.

"Check," Lexi replied.

"Lunch money?"

"Check,"

"Trumpet?"

"Uh huh," Lexi held up her case with her trumpet inside.

"You're good," Jen commented.

"Don't worry, Mom. I have all my stuff too," Kirsten assured. Kate nodded.

At that moment, the principal's voice sounded over the intercom.

"Good morning, students, Principal Haden speaking. Welcome back! I hope that it was a great summer vacation. Welcome to all the new freshmen and the returning upperclassmen. Would all freshmen please make their way to the auditorium for orientation. Thank you,"

"That's our cue. Gotta go. Bye Mom, bye Kate," Lexi stated.

"Bye, Mom. Bye Jenny," Kirsten followed.

"Bye, Lexi. Bye, Kirsten," Jen replied.

"Bye, Kit, bye Lex," Kate added.

As they turned to leave, Jen called out:

"I love you, sweetie!"

Lexi abruptly turned around, her face fire-truck red. "Mom!" She moaned.

Jen gave her a look. "I said I love you," she repeated.

"Okay okay love you too," Lexi growled quickly through clenched teeth.

"Have a good day, Kitty Kat!" Kate added, making Kirsten groan.

The girls left hurriedly before their mothers could make any more embarrassing comments. Kate and Jen laughed. Jen gave Kate a triumphant high-five.

"Nice one," Jen complimented.

"You too. Honestly, teenagers get embarrassed over everything," Kate replied.

"I agree. But the look on Kit's face was priceless," Jen commented.

"I wish I could have taken a picture of Lexi's expression," Kate stated.

They both left the school. Jen was eager to share this priceless moment with Gibbs. The team would have a hoot.

~*~NCIS~*~

Kirsten and Lexi walked into the auditorium. There were about 90 other freshmen sitting there. Most of them chatted amongst themselves, obviously knowing each other for years. The jocks and sporty kids were the rowdiest bunch. The preppy boys and girls sat in their own section laughing. The nerds and outcasts sat by themselves, reading, drawing or poking at their iPads and tablets. Of course, the popular group sat with their clique, texting and twirling their hair.

Lexi rolled her eyes. Kirsten nudged her. "Avoid them. They're nothing but trouble,"

Lexi nodded in agreement. Lexi and Kirsten decided to sit with the preppy kids and prayed that they'd at least blend in. As they sat, all joking and laughing ceased. Lexi sighed. 'Here comes the awkward looks,' she thought.

"Hey, Lexi," Lexi heard a voice behind her. She turned to see Elliot, waving behind her.

"Hey, EJ," Lexi replied.

"Don't worry, guys. She's a friend. Not one of the glitzy girls," EJ assured the others. They smiled.

"Hi, I'm Lexi. This is my cousin, Kirsten," Lexi greeted. Kirsten waved.

"Hi everyone," Kirsten replied,.

"I'm Katherine. But just call me Katie," a girl with auburn hair greeted. "This is my twin brother, Luke,"

A boy who looked exactly like her, except with shorter, spiked hair waved. "Hey,"

Lexi and Kirsten smiled in response. A girl with straight red hair waved. "You've met me. I'm Emily Fornell. My dad works with yours," she stated.

Lexi grinned. "Yeah! Uncle Fornell is always working joint cases with Gibbs,"

"Last but definitely not least, I'm Greg," a boy with short, wavy blonde hair greeted.

"This is sort of our group I guess. We all know each other because all of our parents work in some form of law enforcement," EJ explained.

"Really?" Kirsten asked curiously.

They all nodded. "My dad works in the FBI," Emily answered.

"My parents work with Emily's," Greg added.

"My father is the Director of the CIA," EJ stated.

"Our parents work in the CIA too," Katie followed.

"My mother is the Director of NCIS and my father is a special agent. His team are basically my brothers and sisters," Lexi explained.

"My mom used to be on her dad's team. She's returning now though, as an NCIS agent," Kirsten finished.

"Cool. So I guess we'll see each other even more. Even since there's a dinner that all politicians, directors and presidents have to go to. And they drag their kids there," EJ remarked.

"Oh gosh, EJ don't even bring that up," Emily groaned.

"What?" Lexi asked in confusion.

"It's a dinner/dance thing that all of the politicians and higher-ups go to. They bring their team and kids over the age of 12 with them. It's so awkward because most of the kids that go are snobby rich kids. Plus, we have to socialize," Greg explained.

"Oh wow... I see your point," Kirsten commented.

"And the popular girls there? They are the daughters of Senators and politicans. So, they feel that they're better than everyone. We mostly try to avoid them, but they're like viruses," Katie explained.

"Wow. Well, Kirsten and I are just glad that we've found a group of friends to hang with," Lexi remarked.

"Same. You guys are cool. We'll see each other around more. Our parents all know each other, so we will definitely be able to hang out," Luke commented.

At that moment, the principal stepped up to the auditorium mic.

"Hello, Freshmen! Welcome to your first year here at John F. Kennedy High School. We'll be doing an attendance for everyone and then we will make our way to the gym for some activities," Mr. Haden announced. "If there are any nicknames that you go by, let me know,"

He began reading off a long list of names that were printed in alphabetical order by last name. It was a long process and the group got bored. It was only entertaining when the principal would mispronounce someone's name every once in a while. Lexi, Katie, Luke, Greg and EJ had to correct him, along with many others. When the attendance was finally over, all of the students filed out of the auditorium and headed for the gym. The boys walked ahead of them, laughing and joking.

Lexi chattered with Emily, Kirsten and Katie while they walked. Suddenly, she came face to face with the group of popular girls. Twin African American girls along with an Asian girl stood by scowling at Lexi and the others with disgust. A girl with long sandy brown hair shot Lexi a fierce glare.

"You should probably look where you're going," the girl snapped.

"You should probably walk in the same direction as everyone else," Lexi replied nonchalantly. Thankfully for her, she had learned how to come up with fast and clever comebacks from Gibbs and Jen.

The girl scoffed. "Excuse me? And who are you?"

"None of your damn BUSINESS. Nice to meet you!" Lexi commented with a sarcastic grin.

Emily, Kirsten and Katie's jaws dropped. Lexi was definitely not one to be messed with.

"I don't know who you think you're talking to, but-" the girl started when Lexi smoothly interrupted.

"Listen, I don't know who the hell you are, or what you want from me, but PMSing because your Starbucks latte isn't hot enough for you is no reason to give an attitude," Lexi stated.

"I will have you know that my mother WORKS here, and she will make your life MISERABLE," the girl snapped.

"I don't think that she can make my life any more miserable than it is right now. I have to be face to face with you and your wannabe clique," Lexi answered.

The girl's group gasped. She scowled. "You just watch your back," she stated, and she flounced away.

Lexi rolled her eyes. "You can't find anyone civil these..." Lexi trailed off when she saw the looks on Katie and Emily's faces.

"What's wrong?" Lexi asked in confusion.

"Lexi... Do you know who that was?" Katie whispered.

"No, she was too rude to formally introduce herself," Lexi remarked.

"Lexi! That's Amanda Schmitt. Her mom works here," Emily exclaimed.

"That's my English teacher..." Lexi trailed off in realization.

"Mine too," Kirsten added.

"Ours too. She picks favorites. Meaning, her little princess. If anyone makes her upset, it won't be a fun year for you," Katie explained. "My older brother, Peter, who's a Junior, had her. He said that she'd pick favorites and she absolutely hated him,"

"Well that's Fan-FREAKING-tastic! I've made an enemy today!" Lexi sighed.

"It'll be okay, Lexi. We'll have your back," Kirsten declared.

Emily nodded in agreement. "You'd best believe I'll be there,"

Katie followed. "Same with me,"

Lexi smiled. She was glad that she had a group of friends who would always have her back. But, she was afraid of going to English class. If what everything they were saying were true about Amanda and her mother, Lexi would be in huge trouble. What Lexi didn't know was, her problems were only beginning.

~*~NCIS~*~

A/N: Hey everyone! I would have updated on Christmas Day, but I was out of town for this week. Here's little late Christmas gift from me! So, Lexi and Kirsten are in school, met a group of friends, and an enemy. Amanda is only the beginning... Thanks for reading!

-Ally :)


End file.
